#as long as we are alive we will need artists. never forget that

[uncanny-tranny]

Human accomplishment #3. Creator of Art. We have been art makers for as long as we have been human. Aesthetic and spiritual expression is basic to human behavior. Even Cro-Magnons cared about how a thing looked. Art shows an aesthetic need: they didn't have a surplus of free time, their creation was not immediately more useful, and their art was not necessary for survival. Visual art is more basic than the written word. People drew pictures before writing was invented; children draw before they can write. Without art we're just primates with car keys. Art is a necessity, not a luxury.

A reminder for artists out there.

[kquil]

POLY MARAUDERS | HEROES IN TATTOOS ⏤FIRST PIERCING

REQUEST. : Can I request a chapter where the boys convince the reader to get her ears pierced and she cries bc she's anxious when it happens and one of the boys has her sit on their lap when it's happening and help her calm down. You don't have to but i think it would be super cute —@samanddeansannoyingsis

G. : fluff ; modern au ; muggle au ; tattoo artist james ; tattoo artist sirius ; piercer remus ; comfort ; sitting in sirius's lap ; slight panic attack - not explicit

LENGTH : 1.9k

“Did you mean it?” You ask in a soft voice as Remus swivels in his tech chair to pay you his full attention, one brow raising up at the sight of your fingers gently pinching your ear lobes.

“Did I mean what, dove?” He asks in his usual warm tone, tilting his head back to stare up at you from his seat.

“That I would look cute with ear piercings…” 

Remus laughs because how cute can you get? Especially with that curious look in your doe eyes. Reaching out his big hands, he pulls you onto his thigh and holds you close, staring down with his loving brown eyes to reassure you of any insecurities he suspects might arise. 

Somehow, Remus always knew what path your thoughts could potentially take. You felt like an open book to him, cradled in his large hands, stable and loving; ready to explore your pages with the simple intent to understand you further, as he’s already done with the few pages you’ve allowed him to read in your past. To you, Remus is safety, comfort and boundless warmth, not from the sun but from a thick blanket, reassuring and all encompassing, devoted to only keeping you warm — safe, happy and secure. 

“Yes, I meant it,” Remus whispers as he fixes the collar of your shirt, ever the habitual perfectionist, “why?” His gaze lifts and you’re lost in his honey-chocolate pools once more, “are you thinking of getting your ears pierced?” you don’t know if the lilt in his tone is to tease or a growing excitement for your potential inclination — he may have the honour of giving you your first piercing.

“Maybe…” he can tell from the slight hesitancy in your diction that you weren’t 100% sold on the idea, which brings about his own worries.

“You don’t need a piercing to be cute you know,” Remus mutters the sentiment into your temple before pressing a kiss into your skin, “you’re plenty cute as is…” 

“It’s not that,” the shaky breath you exhale is all too familiar to the brunette and he instantly knows your exact reasoning, he still lets you speak the words yourself, however, somewhat enjoying the show you unintentionally play out before him. It’s another cute display, one that rivals whenever he sees you eating something delicious, and can’t control your expression or when you get excited over something and hop in place while doing tiny claps, “I’m still kinda scared of needles…” 

The shame that crosses your face tugs at Remus’s heart and he puts a stop to it immediately. Holding your chin between his pointer finger and thumb he directs your stare to meet his own, “don’t feel ashamed of that, sweetheart. Being afraid is normal and, in some instances, keeps people alive and safe. It’s unfortunate but fear led you to the boys and me,” he hates to remind you of that fateful night but— “and now I don’t think we can live without you,” the two of you share a laugh at that.

The boys were truly grateful to you for many things. You may not know it but whenever angry, sad or stressed all they had to do was look at you, see your smiling face, hear your twinkling laugh and bask in the brightness you exude just to feel right again. You bring about an equilibrium that they are so often tipped off of, never totally right or sane when you are gone too long. 

“I—…I still don’t know,” 

“Try this,” Remus leans back to pose his hypothetical, “forget the needle and the pain, would you still like to wear earrings?” your enthusiastic nod is answer enough, “then…—“ from the corner of his eye, Sirius walks past the doorway and Remus calls for him. 

“How may I help you and our princess, Moony?” Sirius asks with a practised smiling voice as he shoots you a wink.

“Do you mind fetching the earring jewellery samples?” Sirius raises a brow but asks no questions and nods before disappearing again. While he’s gone, you stare up at Remus, who doesn’t say a word but smiles and lovingly tucks a stray hair behind your ear. Not long after, Sirius returns with a small set of samples in a rectangular wooden box, lined with red velvet and showcasing a small but beautiful variety of jewellery. 

“Aren’t they beautiful?”

“They’re very beautiful, Rem,” you reply, awing at their delicate designs and sparkling appearance. 

“Pick a favourite pair,” he prompts and without hesitation, you pick the two that immediately caught your eye. 

“Great choice, doll,” Sirius praises as Remus hands back the sample set and gives him a look, communicating his next steps. There was no debate and Sirius accepted everything without any questions, “we’ll reserve them for you,” Sirius smiles softly and quickly leaves to do just that before you can utter any word of protest. 

“Tell us when you’re ready, and we’ll make it happen so that you’re as comfortable as can be throughout,”

Every time you visit the boys at their tattoo studio, they let you have the reserved piercings to look over and contemplate your decision with. They were perfectly happy to wait however long you needed and never pushed you towards a decision, they even expressed that it was perfectly okay for you to change your mind and withdraw from the idea altogether. 

“You know,” James pipes up with a mouthful of food that Remus quickly reprimands him for, “you don’t need to get a piercing to wear earrings,” 

“That’s right, there are other alternatives out there, dollface,” Sirius adds, licking his lips with a content smile, always a lover for your cooking, “you can wear clip on earrings instead,”

You appreciate their concern and thoughtfulness but you still want to get a piercing. It felt like a right of passage for all girls and you wanted to be a part of it, clip-ons didn't feel the same and you wanted to be able to pair your earrings with an outfit like some of your friends do. Shaking your head with a polite smile, you turn to Remus, “You’ll be doing my piercing, right, Rem?” 

“That’s right, dove,”

Timidly, you meet his kind eyes, “will you be able to hold me when you do it?” Your shy statement was all they needed to realise what was holding you back. They felt so stupid for not realising it sooner but, thankfully, they knew how to help you now. 

“I’m afraid not, sweetheart,” Remus coos softly at your disappointed expression but James and Sirius don’t let you wear it for long. 

“But Prongs and I can hold you for as long as you need, doll!” Sirius smiles as James grins toothily beside him. 

“Just take your pick on whose lap you think will be more comfortable!” James laughs with Sirius as he throws his arm over his friend’s shoulders. 

“In that case,” you turn towards Remus with a smile once more, “when is the next available time I can set up an appointment?”

It was in the afternoon when you found yourself seated on Sirius’s lap as Remus prepared to pierce your ears. James, to his dismay, had an appointment for a tattoo so Sirius won lap rights by default, which he was all too proud to have won. 

In preparation for the piercings, Sirius helped tie your hair up so that your ears were free of their awning, he did this while Remus prepared his tools, put on his gloves and got started on a small aftercare kit for you to take home — as was customary of their studio to provide for all their customers. With Sirius’s arms comfortingly wrapped around your waist, he pressed you close so that you could feel the heat from his chest against your back and allowed him access to your neck, where he placed a soft kiss.

After a while, Remus walks over with a soft look on his face and a sanitising wipe in a gloved hand, “you two look cosy,” he comments while gently cleansing your lobes with the wipe and throwing it away in a nearby bin. 

“Our princess deserves it,” Sirius comments, his hot breath tickling your neck and making you giggle as Remus agrees.

“That she does,” leaning back, the tall brunette sits in his tech chair and pulls up a small handheld mirror and pen, “now, dove, I need you to tell me where you want your piercing. Do you want it a little higher? Right in the middle or a little lower, here?” In the mirror he holds in front of you, you see him point out where the potential piercing can go with the tip of his pen, “I want to do it perfectly for you,” he smiles warmly behind the mirror, which carries in his voice — soft and sweet.

“And if you want more piercings in the future, you can make room for them now,” Sirius adds from behind you. 

“I want it right in the middle please, Rem,” 

“Of course,” he nods and places the markings softly onto your lobe before holding up the mirror again for your final approval.

“W-won’t the pen make the sanitising pointless,” you comment, shy of your scrutiny; Remus was the expert, afterall. 

“Don’t worry, dove,” he kisses your forehead before holding up the capped pen, “this is a surgical skin marker and it’s used in surgeries to mark out incision lines,” your apprehended by his gentle tone and warm voice, calming your heart that had slowly begun to race with anticipation, “the ink is made of gentian violet, which has antifungal properties so it won’t affect the sterility of the marked area,”

When you nod in understanding, Remus kisses your forehead once more and goes to store away the pen before finally getting started on your piercing.

“It’ll be okay, sweetheart,” Sirius whispers into your hair when he hears the unsteady shake in your breaths — Remus had just sat down across from you in his tech chair with a needle in hand and a small stopper in the other. 

“Look away, darling… close your eyes,” Remus prompts when he sees your breathing pick up at the sight of the needle in his hand. He is completely ignored and nods at the tattooist behind you, “Sirius, can you help our angel?”

You feel Sirius kiss your temple as his arms give you a small squeeze. His weight, warmth and smell surrounds your senses and the boys helpfully guide your breathing until you are finally able to relax. The tension leaves your body and you finally close your eyes, apologising for your small episode. 

“You have nothing to be sorry for, dove,” Remus whispers softly in front of you, “but I’m gonna have to ask you to take a deep breath for me,” you do as he says, breathing deep and slow, “good girl…”

There’s a small pinch in your right lobe that quickly dulls into numbness before Remus secures something behind it and a lingering weight is left. You feel Sirius kiss the slope of your shoulder, muttering soft praises as he does so. There’s some shuffling before you feel Remus take his place before you again. 

“One more time, dove, take a deep breath…” he gently commands as you easily follow. There’s another small pinch but in your left lobe this time. Again, Remus secures something behind it and as the numbness lingers so does an added weight. 

Your eyes flutter open just as Remus presses a kiss onto your forehead, “you were such a good girl for me,” he praises, smiling and then holds up a mirror for you to admire the delicate earrings decorating your ears with a bright smile, “it suits you, darling,”

“You just keep getting prettier,” Sirius chuckles and squeezes you in his arms once more, ”well done, princess,”  

A/N : i went a little overboard with the writing, i didn't know it would stretch on for so long but i hope you enjoy the read! i'm sorry it took me a while to fulfil this request, life kinda got in the way but here it is! please tell me what you think!

NAVI. | HEROES IN TATTOOS SERIES

TAGLIST : @melinajenkins @astonishment @until-i-found-you @corp0real @sageskisses444 @celestcies @lovelydoveval @inlovewithremusjohnlupin @calums-betch @futurecorps3 @hihihi1112 @simpingforthe80s @yrluvjane @neeezza101 @chaosofmanyfandoms @susyelectra @fangirlninja67 @pagesfalling @thepunisherfrankcastle @axeofwars @imarimon @justkiyomi @in-love-with-4-marauders @chicken-taco-burrito @valencia-sou @feast0nmeee @lestat-whore @hvmxjjk @twilightlover2007 @diaryofabiwoman @woohoney @celestialfantasiess @willbedecided @lovelyygirl8 @iiirhiane-g @ghostgardn @mess-is-my-aesthetic

[volturiprincess]

Day 2: Two Turtle Doves

Demetri Volturi x fem vamp reader

Warning: None

Word Count: 681

(Here's the moodboard)

“Open your eyes, angel”

I roll to my side trying to escape the husky warm voice of his. Why must he sound so angelic in the mornings? I felt the bed dip signaling that Demetri got on, I tried to hear what he was doing but heard nothing. I felt his warm touch caress my cheek with such delicacy and gentleness, considering we alone could take out a whole village but right now we are at peace. I open my eyes as I turn myself to look at him. What a blessing of a man he is.

The sunlight is shining on him like a spotlight and he has a small smirk threatening to come through as he sees me finally looking at him.

“I still don't see why you need to rest your eyes, we are vampires we cannot sleep”

“I like to relax like this, especially if you cuddle with me, for a minute I forget we are vampires”

He let out a small sigh but then his eyes lit up as he looked outside. It looked like a lightbulb lit up in his head.

“Get ready amore, we should take our morning walk”

I turn to look outside to be met with a bright light, signaling there is snow. I hurried to get ready, which didn't take long, and placed my last item of clothing, a matching cloak that my dear Demetri has on currently. I've been dying to wear it because I asked Sulpicia to make me one like Demetris since she is the one who made his. She really did not disappoint, I never doubted her because her and Athenodora make the loveliest of gowns that I have had the honor to wear over the centuries. 

Once I walked out of the closet his gaze wandered over me. Studying me like an artist does as he looks as his muse. I tried to read his facial expression to see if I could get a hint of what he was thinking but his face remained neutral, calm. He finally met my eyes with a show stopping smile, the same smile he gave me when I confessed to him that I was ready to be his mate completely all those centuries ago. He came up to me grabbing my hand to give it a small lingering kiss that left me wanting more from him.

“You look absolutely ravishing cariño, almost makes me not want to go on that walk now”

I rolled my eyes playfully at him. 

“You always say that when I wear even the simplest of things, casanova” 

“What can I say you are quite…ravishing”

He pulled me to his side so I was resting on his arm as we walked out of the castle to the snowy grounds. So peaceful, so lovely, so quiet, and to think I get to experience this year after year with Demetri and always get surprised. We didn't talk, just enjoying the scenery that surrounds us, the only sound being the crunch we are making as we walk in the snow. An idea comes to mind and I halt my movement, he turns to me with furrowed eyebrows. 

I pull him to a clear patch on the ground that has been untouched as I let go of his hand so I can draw a big heart in the snow. With the heart drawn, I slip my glove off and place it inside the heart, I look up to Demetri hoping he has gotten the hint. His face loses his confused look and turns to a look of fondness, he immediately reciprocates my previous actions and rests his bare hand next to mine on the snow. He turns to me with a quirked eyebrow, almost asking what is the point of this. I shrug my shoulders but lean into him to place a small quick gentle kiss onto his pink lips. 

“After knowing every little thing about you with the time we been together, you never fail to amuse me mi amor”

“It's what keeps our long life alive”

“Indeed”

[starshideurfics]

Thirsty Thursday - Paris, 1889

steddie, omegaverse, starving artist eddie, moulin rouge dancer steve

Eddie Munson knows he’s lucky. Some days he feels like the luckiest man alive. He lives in Paris, he’s doing what he loves, and most days he has enough money to eat three meals.

And yes, most of that money is charity from his beloved uncle, and NOT from selling his artwork. 

In the year he’s been in his tiny garret, committing to La Vie Boheme, Eddie has sold one painting. He picks up odd jobs, sells sketches on the street, but paints are expensive.

So is coal. 

Winter is fast approaching, and to save on fuel costs, Eddie stays out of his flat as mich as possible, soliciting gallery owners and doing his best to get something in front of the eyes of the Paris elite. Then, in the evening, he goes to the Moulin Rouge.

It starts out with him trying to stay warm as long as possible, as late into the night. And to get cheap drinks.

The Can-Can dancers are just a fun bonus, fun to watch from the back, but little more.

At least until a new omega starts, wide-eyed and covered in beauty marks.

Now he’s *very interested* in the dancers, and even more annoyed with the fact that they’re dancing. He just wants to stare at the lovely omega, to capture his beauty in charcoal and chalk and oils. Eddie pulls out a little sketchbook, doing his best to get his features down.

He’s so absorbed that Eddie nearly forgets that the purpose of the dance is to titillate, the movements quick, the kicks showing off the splits in the dancers’ drawers, the shadow of pubic hair, and a hint of dusky pink.

Eddie wants to draw that too…

He goes back every night, trying to get a bit closer to *his* omega. Night after night he moves closer to the stage, finally close enough to smell. Most of it is heady perfume, he’s fairly certain the majority of the dancers are betas, but there’s a fresh note, sweet and green.

Staring dumbly up at his pretty dancer, Eddie prays for him to look his way. Three nights pass before their eyes meet, the omega flashing him a soft smile.

That night he builds up enough courage to wait at the dressing room door, to show his sketch to the security guard.

To get a name: Stéfan.

The guard agrees to ask Stéfan to come to the door after Eddie slips him a handful of francs. He’ll gladly give up breakfast tomorrow if he can speak to his new muse.

“Bonsoir,” a low, sweet voice says, startling Eddie from his reverie.

He’s wearing a long coat, buttoned up to his neck, hat on his head, but just as enthrallingly beautiful to Eddie. So enthralling that Eddie says as much, murmuring, “Good evening, Angel.”

“No need for that, Stef is fine.” The omega smiles. “You’re an artist, yes?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

Stef reaches for Eddie’s hands, turning them to show off the black smudges of charcoal on his fingers. “And I’ve seen you drawing in the audience.” He drags a finger up the center of Eddie’s palm. “What are you always drawing?”

“You,” Eddie blurts.

“Me? Why?” Stef asks with a laugh.

“I’m surprised every alpha you meet isn’t driven to catalogue your beauty.”

“Flatterer.”

“It is the truth! I’ve never seen a lovelier omega on this earth.”

“I doubt you’ve seen much outside of Paris.”

“It is still true,” Eddie pouts.

Stéfan is still holding Eddie’s hand, both of them blushing. “Are you hungry? There’s a café I like down the way, we could eat a late supper and maybe… You could show me some of your drawings?” He leans closer, sniffing not so discreetly at Eddie’s neck. “And tell me your name?”

“Édouard! My name is Édouard, um…Eddie, call me Eddie. And I would love to get supper with you.”

🎨🍾💗

Stef goes home with Eddie that night, showing him just how covered in beauty marks his body is, moaning as Eddie worships him with talented fingers.

At the end of the month, Eddie sells a painting: a sensual portrait of Stéfan in their bed. 

part two

[otomiyaa]

Re: Catching Up

Finally reading the reblogs and mentions of my tag game (my main reason for starting that was to read about what y'all are up to while I neglected tha dashboard lolol) and dumping some replies here to some peeps I follow^^

General note to all: so happy to see the multiple excited reactions to Inside Out 2 hehehe, I loved it so much T0T

@crazy-as-a-jaybird THE SIMS 4 LOVESTRUCK!!!!! I didn't know that was coming! I haven't played the sims in a long time, but gee that's exciting news, thnx! ..... I wonder if there will be some nice loveydovey tickle animations in there....

@italeean "You guys probably already know what I'll say" (about Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie), actually I don't know 👀 it's been a while since I saw that movie when it was released in the cinema here, but you made me curious to your reaction. What did you think? :3

@giggly-squiggily omg Blue Lock & Haikyuu hypehype and did you also love to see these lazy gamer guys Kenma and Nagi dominate the big screens as heroes to their respective movies, so shortly after each other, what a time to be alive 🤩

@fantasizes-tickles-daily My Adventures with Superman ng;dngifdgjdhljfni;oji I still need to start the new season but omfg I'm so glad finally someone else is into this hehehe, I love that! I'm also not a big DC fan, I didn't even see most movies, but I LOVE THIS ONE. Clark is the cutest isn't he?

@eliankrios YOU PLAY THE SIMS 4????? 👀 also thank you for those banger song recs. I only knew 'save my life' from xandria but not valentine or others :3

@wertzunge Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, I saw that one on the plane a while ago, I enjoyed that too!!! I wonder if they will do more :3 I never played the game though....

@tiklart SHARK MOVIE SUFFERERS WE ARE HAHA, also good luck on your exams!🫶 sending good luck vibes~

@gladdygirl18 ❤️❤️❤️ sending good love life prayers, hope all will go well! and yay for fellow minecraft enjoyer :D

@sunstone-smiles I LOVE ESPRESSO odjs;dgjhih ih but I didn't like it at first either :') it had to grow on me too.

@kusuguricafe seeing you talk about your genshin abyss teams makes me go 💀💀💀 it's been so long since I played genshin, especially abyss. Are you managing the 3 stars each chamber f12 cuz I've only succeeded like once at it or smth. oh and I hope you'll have fun writing again soon! Don't push yourself too much for tickletober, as long as it stays fun*w*

@blobbirobbi wow I knew all 3 of those artists but not those songs, thnx for the recs :D especially the Måneskin hohoho

@sleepysheepytea feels indeed like ages since I saw your activity on my dash, wishing you the best of luck with work and stuff^^

@hypahticklish that was literally my reaction too to the movie The Fall Guy, I loved that so much and you described it so well 😍 I thought it would be a "Haha funny" movie but it really moved me and I also didn't expect the first part to be so emotional. p.s. thnx for the blank copy paste, sorry for forgetting 🥲🥲

@a-fluffer-nutter wow good luck on the move to the UK and congrats on 8 years tumblr, I still remember you being one of the first tk blogs i encountered 😌

@lovelymessybubbly wooow it feels like AGES, sorry to hear about the low mental energy but hope you're doing well ^^!

[amatowriting]

Liam, I don't know if you can read this anywhere you are now but although you didn't become a firefighter itself since the artistic career worked out, you did save lives like you desired.

It's the first time I will say it out loud but I met you when I was five years old locked in the bathroom, contemplating at such a young age about taking my life away because of all the abuse and bullying I was going through. I was scrolling through YouTube and I saw a video clip of What Makes You Beautiful by a band called One Direction and I decided to watch. IT BECAME THE BEST DECISION IN MY LIFE. As I grew up, I discovered your own story of growing up with bullying and Louis' daddy issues extremely similar to my story of life and then everyone person in my life that ever said to me I wouldn't be anyone and that I should kill myself didn't matter anymore...because if the two of you made it and became who you are now, WHY COULDN'T ME? That was the day I realized life was worth living thanks to all of you but more specifically thanks to you and Lou. YOU SAVED MY LIFE AND STILL DO AND FOR THAT I WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL ALTHOUGH I NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY IT TO YOUR FACE, PAYNO.

You carried us through the waters and fires just for our love, you found a way through the dark to us but we weren't able to save you any night, instead you went down in the flames and drowned in the waves.

We all wanted this last couple of day that your tragic premature passing was only an illusion, a twisted collective nightmare.

We are half a heart without you because everything about you is magic, all your little things.

You made us strong with your beautiful smile and fighter background, you have been fighting since you were born…you taught us good, we will keep your legacy.

We could never hate you or forget you; after all, how can you hate or forget someone who gave us so much to remember?

Together with the lads, you taught a whole generation about self-esteem and how to love and be loved by someone else…that’s why we have high standards for love, I suppose!

You were and still are the soundtrack with the best songs ever to the story of our life.

I'm the last one to say it - speaking in first person now because I'm as suck as you all together when it comes to dancing, I'm all clumsy - but even though you five were terrible dancers, you created two of the most iconic dance movements in Best Song Ever and Live While We Are Young - whoever in this fandom admits they never did their choreography neither knows the two of them by heart, is lying.

We weren't ready for you to be the first one to say goodbye so soon and create this space between us, twisting the knife in our breaking hearts.

We thought we would have more time…if only we had asked you to stay - we would have found the words to say, would you have changed your ticket home and changed your mind to not have left us that day?

We could have started all over again…maybe that wasn't meant to be indeed.

Maybe the gods above can separate the two of us…physically speaking.

You belong in our hearts and we better think you never forget it.

We are sad and, until we die, our hearts will forever miss a piece but we are going to be alright, eventually.

After all, you will be by our side anytime we need you, we just have to close your eyes and see.

You made us feel alive and never forget where we belonged so we will move on with our lives for the two of us.

Until the day we finally rest in peace too and you receive us with open hearts and arms for your tight hug and your unique genuine bright smile and charisma that enchanted our hearts for the last fourteen years.

Goodbyes are bittersweet but it's not the end, we will see your face again.

We can see that you are in peace as you are walking in the wind gracefully.

Our history is not over as long as we continue celebrating your wonderful life and heartwarming songs on and on! We live forever!

Protect us from above like you always have done, our musician firefighter, and we will protect your loved ones forever down here, from the world’s cruelty making sure they feel the love we and you have for them and what you truly meant from us instead of those sick sensationalism media that is dirtying you.

We are the greatest team the world has ever seen!

Thanks for all the memories, Payno, we love you!

[luneinary]

I have something silly and perhaps a little lame to say about v3

So after a good 7 months of ruminating and actually Sitting Down to give chapter 6 my full undivided attention and analysis (without operating on a flu-induced fever and not half-asleep from NyQuil) I have come to the conclusion that I love v3's ending , or at the very least its message

I was initially in the crowd that was like "wow I have never stopped caring about a narrative faster" and tuned out the remainder of the trail before the mantra of "it's all fiction" numbed me first and I indeed fell hard for the cameos that Tsumugi kept showing the audience . Normally I liked meta - commentary and media that challenged the status quo so I wasn't sure why v3's conclusion sat so wrong with me , so naturally I just kept chapter 6 at an arms length while I sat on what it was trying to tell me , as the player .

Nowadays , I absolutely still wish that it was better in its execution , but it did what it was set out to and is extremely effective when you lend it some patience.

  the mechanics of the trail are deliberate , subversive , and a really great method of storytelling . It's Shuichi's UI gradually shutting down just before entering K1B0's perspective -- a little nod to Kaede passing the torch to him in her trial; it's the back route (the "lie" mechanic essentially) being "despair" to counter hope , once again calling out the surface-level dualism between the two concepts; it's seeing the inner monologues of both Maki and Himiko while convincing them to abstain; it's the trial impeding on the player's ability to even interact with the game at times (i.e. Monokuma throwing a Hangman's Gambit or a Psych Taxi in your face in a way to coax you into playing, though you aren't meant to participate)  , and that's just a few of my favorites .

Your first instinct is to be upset that everything you learned up to this point was fabricated and being laughed at for caring-- I was upset , too . But the game isn't mad at you for liking its story . If anything I feel like it would not spend nearly as much time trying to get you to care about its narrative and characters if that really were the case . It swept the rug from under our feet to force us to look inward and ask: have we truly understood what we were consuming ? Do we emphasize with the grief and loss that these characters are experiencing , despite knowing that all we can really do is watch ?

Questions that which lead me to the author;

Tsumugi is fascinating as a mastermind because she's so deeply entrenched in simply creating something consumable , that she forgets to care about her own story . If something as big as Danganronpa (in-universe anyway) went on for as long as it did , there had to be, once , a time when the franchise had the most integrity , only to be gradually diluted with each season until it became whatever for the sake of whatever-- it doesn't matter , it's just a show, everyone will tune in anyway, because the world needs it . It's silly and dramatized in the trial , but an example of consumerism all the same .

All of this, likened with the thematic constants, of truth and lies , belief and doubt -- our perception of them -- just kept changing and changing , to the point that even we couldn't make those distinctions, and it was like what are we even doing anymore ?? What even is this story ?

It only makes sense that the characters would outgrow a script that wasn't reliable to begin with, the death of their supposed author allowing them to finally reach an audience that had dismissed their experiences as "lies," in favor of keeping a collapsing franchise alive . The extent of what seemed real to her classmates , maybe even the audience , doesn't seem as such to her -- even if she participated in the killing game -- because of the lack of integrity she had in writing her own plot .

Whether you're an artist or an author or just someone who creates , it's important to remember that: Life imitates art and vice versa , and what we create doesn't exist in a vacuum . How common is it nowadays for people to share how much a game they grew up with has impacted them , or the friends they've made over a book that they've read , or see the time and energy and love people put into fanmade material for the world to see for free ? We are all human beings with so many feelings and thoughts to share, and our ever-evolving ability to express them through storytelling is a wonderful gift -- especially now, when people are connecting more to works of fiction and diverse media more than ever .

So even if it's just fiction , what these characters say , do , think , it matters -- just as much to them as it does us . Shuichi could have always been meek and unsure , but he has gone through something horrible  , seen people at their best and at their worst , met people he loved dearly , and now he isn't . And we were so proud of what he became . Nevermind if what he experienced was predetermined , because it felt real to us , and it mattered ! All of it !! It all matters !!

An author may die . But the memory of opening their book for the first time is timeless . The story isn't over because it lives on through us . Our care . And for that reason, our stories are eternal . Be honest and be real with what you create . People can tell .

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ch.220 thoughts

[Here For a Good Time AND a Long Time!]

(Contents: thematic analysis - happiness/autonomy)

All Up From Here

What'd I tell ya? You don't give things a numerical score, cus something better is always capable of coming along. Tozuka himself even incorporated my exact feelings into this chapter!

"I'm as happy as can be, Andy." "What are you talkin' about, Nico?! It's all up from here!!"

Acknowledging that you're happy is of course an important first step to actually being happy, but to say that you can't be happier is to say that you'll never be this happy again, like a preemptive refusal to accept greater happiness in the future

This is also why I don't personally like to throw around "peak" as a compliment, because again it implies that nothing compares now and never will again. It puts the recipient on a pedestal, and forces all further interactions to be analyzed exclusively in comparison rather than on their own

Take me for example: long-time readers of mine know that Medaka Box is my favorite manga of all time, but as UU has continued to grow and evolve artistically and narratively, I've been forced to reexamine my relationship with both series. By insisting that nothing would ever surpass Medaka Box in my heart, I've been actively holding my opinion of UU down, refusing to change the shape of the hole that Medaka Box left in my life to fit UU, afraid that doing so would cause me to forget Medaka Box

...Huh, that sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Andy telling Nico to look forward rather than becoming complacent with his current happiness or previous joys is actually a perfect capstone to their last meeting in the previous loop, as Nico's inability to allow Mico to make him happy in Ichico's place was ultimately what allowed Ragnarok to reach a critical point as quickly as it did. He certainly won't allow it to get to that point again, but rooting himself in the high of getting married rather than looking forward to the perpetuity of married life rings a bit of a bell, and one that Andy is quick to silence

This Too Shall Pass

Andy himself needs to take a future-focused stance like this, as if he doesn't, he would certainly go insane...again. In L100, he spent 200 years trying to kill himself because he saw no future in his immortality, just a constant waste of time with no purpose or goal. He would never find love, and any love he did find would be fleeting, as he would watch everyone he cared for slip away. He'd peaked when he had his gang in the Wild West, and everything since then was downhill

Until he met Fuuko

Once Fuuko was in Andy's life, suddenly every day was better than the last. Every day was fun, every day was worth living, and even when he couldn't see her anymore, when he was stuck eternally burning alive on the sun, he knew that there would be a day when the suffering would end. Because he had something to look forward to, the knowledge that things would get better, Andy was able to put up with literally the most painful hardship anyone has ever experienced without a word of complaint

All thanks to Fuuko

No Fate But What We Make

Fuuko, of course, went through the same thing, just on a much smaller scale. She went through ten years of believing that there was no future in a life where she couldn't touch anyone, and the only thing that kept her going was the serialization of a manga. Once it ended, so too did the roadmap of her life; if the only thing she could look forward to was the next chapter, there was no future without one

It was only when she met Andy that she began to see possibilities for herself, that that there was a reason to keep going. Because of Andy, Fuuko was able to look ahead and make a real plan for herself, to commit to multiple preparations and contingencies across 200 years of loneliness, to lay the foundation for her and everyone else's happiness

All thanks to Andy

But Fuuko interestingly takes the opposite approach here. While she builds her future, she seems to think of it as a culmination of the past. She says that the moment of their meeting wasn't the start of their story, but rather Andy's very creation was the start, that he and his life choices are what brought the present and future into possibility. Fuuko attributes all of her successes to him, a domino chain that simply swept her along

But just like Andy corrected Nico, so too does he correct Fuuko

"It started with you, Andy. If you were never born, then I -" "Ha! It was just dumb luck. You're the one that turned that luck into fate."

In this moment, Fuuko has an external locus of control, believing herself to have been dealt a bad hand and that she just got lucky when she swapped out her cards, but that's not what Andy sees. He sees a woman who made the right calls with what she had, who swapped out the right cards and made the right bluffs to turn a bad hand around and win big anyway, and he doesn't want her to lose sight of that

Just like he doesn't want Nico to think his life is going downhill, he doesn't want Fuuko to think her life isn't in her control. If life isn't in your control, then neither is your happiness; anything you have can be taken away, and you forfeit the ability to take it back. Again, Andy can attest to that: he only found Fuuko by sheer dumb luck

No one orchestrated their meeting, it just happened, and it was only because Fuuko made the choice to embrace the consequences of that meeting that their lives turned out for the best. If Fuuko hadn't pushed herself to kiss Andy and save both of them from being captured by the Union, she likely would have been killed and he probably would have somehow found his way back to being Victor, this persona fading into nothing while still remaining unnamed

When hardships inevitably come Fuuko's way again, she needs to understand that she can't rely on luck to save her, but she can rely on herself. She's proven it a thousand times, and even become someone that everyone else can rely on; with her own hands, she defied everyone's destinies and forged a happy ending for all of them. That's not something that could have just happened by the whims of fate, only by the choices of someone with the strength to take control of their own life. After 100 loops with only subtle variations thanks to the minimal interference of the only one who could, the 101st has the chance to create the perfect ending specifically because Fuuko chose to interfere when given the opportunity

And now she has the opportunity to interfere one last time

Let's Enjoy Life

We've talked about it endlessly at this point, but Ruin is a clear foil to Andy in a ton of ways, and this chapter is a perfect illustration of that concept, literally. Not only is this fight happening on the bridge where Andy and Fuuko first met, the flow of the battle itself is like a speedrun of the first 20 chapters

The meteors and lightning from last chapter, getting hit by a vehicle and reduced to a head (the train in ch.1 or the truck in ch.2), having his body sealed by specially made Union containers (eye-scar guy in ch.1), getting pummeled by Void on the highway (ch.2), facing Shen immediately after (ch.3), then jumping straight to being launched into space by Nyoi Kinko (ch.16). Even the way he talks, insisting "this isn't enough to kill me" is pretty much exactly what Andy and Victor would say whenever anyone would hit them with anything - because he thinks they're trying to kill him

But that's not the goal. It never was

Tozuka played a fun little trick on us from the very beginning of the series. By calling UU "the story of [the] quest for the greatest death ever," the expectation that was set up was that we would see the most extravagant, bombastic and show-stopping death ever put to page, that the goal was to find the one thing that could actually overcome immortality. He made a promise that the story would end with Andy's demise and all the spectacle that came with it

With this chapter, it is clear that this was a promise that Tozuka had no intention of keeping

Not in the sense that Andy won't die, I have a hard time seeing this series ending without that punctuation to his story, but the death itself is no longer the purpose of the journey, and I would argue never really has been. The "greatest death ever" is one that comes at the end of a fulfilling life, one where the deceased is surrounded by people who love them and, even through the tears and grief, everyone can look back and smile. This was the lesson that Fuuko learned in ch.1 as she fell to what she thought was her death; the suicide that was meant to end her suffering simply put into perspective how empty her life had been, and being saved, being held, being shown affection by Andy showed her what her life could be

Ch.1 was a perfect preview of the rest of the series, because as I've said many times over by now, Andy and Fuuko's stories are near identical. Just as Fuuko learned that life needs to be lived for death to have meaning, so too would Andy. And now, two hundred and twenty chapters later, Tozuka has finally paid off that slow burn by having Andy acknowledge that he enjoys life!

And now he wants Ruin to do the same.

"I've got one rule and one rule only!! ... Now, c'mon, You follow it too!! Let's enjoy what life has to offer!!"

"You follow it too."

Andy doesn't want to kill Ruin. He wants Ruin to understand the truth. Ruin loves the world, and that's a start, but he wants to eliminate the thing that makes the world truly beautiful - the people in it. Andy's "ridiculously long life" was pointless because he was alone, and Ruin's life is set to be just as long. He insists that he only needs the Rules, but how long can that sustain his soul? At best, madness is all that awaits him, but as we said, a life that accepts it will never be happier is one that has accepted it will be unhappy

Ruin needs to be shown that his way of life will only lead to unhappiness, and that there's a better way. That loving people and being loved by people is better than hating them and isolating from them. Just like Andy drifted through life ambiently allowing things to happen to him, taking opportunities as they came along rather than actively working towards a goal, so too is Ruin losing control in this fight. He's getting smacked around like a rag doll by the culmination of the life that Andy lived, and the Rules he hid behind to distance himself from humanity can't do a damn thing to help him

When Andy thought there was nothing more he could do, that he had to sacrifice himself to the Union to keep Fuuko alive, she stepped up to save both of them, reaching out to someone else for the first time. That was the moment Andy's life started to change, the moment that Andy was truly born, and I believe that Ruin is about to learn exactly what that's like

Undeath and Rebirth

The official twitter gave us a fun bit of insight this week: in L100, the mark over Ruin's eye that I've been calling a scar this whole time was actually a birthmark. While the mark from Remember on Andy actually is a scar, it was present from the moment of Andy's creation, making it functionally identical to a birthmark

But now, in L101, both of these birthmarks are gone. Andy no longer has Remember, and Victor is no longer trying to return, so his wound has healed; meanwhile, Ruin's natural birthmark has been subsumed by a wound. Andy is no longer defined by his origin and now can look toward the future, while Ruin is likely hiding from his origin, covering it up and ignoring the implications of it

Andy was reborn and able to heal, but Ruin is more damaged than ever; more ruined than ever. With his birthmark gone, the pain of his past can be left in the past, but by marring himself so grievously, there will always be a reminder of it. It will only be once Ruin learns to look forward like Andy, like Fuuko, that he will be able to heal and be reborn as well. It is only then that he will cease to be ruined

Conclusion

Of course, this is all assuming that Tozuka actually cares enough about Ruin to keep him around and actively develop him. For all I know, this is going to be another Kururu situation where I'm filling holes that Tozuka only ever planned to leave empty, but as I've said a thousand times, Tozuka has built up more than enough good will for me to give him that benefit of the doubt. I wholeheartedly believe that Tozuka has a plan for Ruin (and hopefully for Kururu too), but in the end I'll still be okay with it either way so long as he uses them properly to develop and analyze Andy and Fuuko

At the end of the day, Ruin's character has given me another angle to approach our leads from, and that's what a good foil is supposed to do. Even if Ruin doesn't accept the lessons and is made to be an illustration of what happens when one refuses to live their life no matter what, that's just as good narratively, even if it's sad to think about. We'll just have to keep reading and enjoy what Tozuka has to offer, whatever that may be

...Ah, crumbs, do I need to change my sign-off???

The original translation was "let's enjoy life," but presumably for either accuracy or dramatic flair, David Evelyn went with "what life has to offer" this time. Now that it's been introduced in canon, that's the quote that's going to become iconic, and most people won't know about Tozuka's convention appearance or the chapter blurb that only appeared in the original magazine run! "Let's enjoy life" is inevitably going to be forgotten as the phrasing of the sentiment, so should I fight the tides and stick with the original, or accept reality and adapt accordingly...

...Well, when I put it that way, after everything I've said in this review, I think my choice is pretty clear. If anyone wants me to go back to the old way, let me know, but for now:

Until next time, let's enjoy what life has to offer!!

[splatoonpolls]

I can't really take "media literacy is dead" that 100% seriously ever since it became like a "pop psychology" term. It just sounds like everyone one day woke up for forgot the most basic of basic things. “Media literacy is dead” and they don’t add a because or due to. They show an example and sometimes refuses to expand on why it is dead. It shows the consequences but not the cause or the action.

Because like. It is already dead. It has been dead for a long time for a certain group of people. People always had shitty opinions on media. As long as it has existed. The thing was, they didn't just have access to express their opinion you know. Before it was mainly professional critics and academia. Now with social media, everyone can say shit. And that includes people who have shitty takes. It is no different than a nonartist trying to insert themselves in an artist centric situation. Most people will never be an expert unless they have spent hours upon hours learning about something. And that is where i think the problem comes from. Beginnner hobby artists saying "Klein's blue" is nothing special and they can do it. People have always joked about people viewing themselves as Scott Pilgrim or Patrick Bateman, and do not forget about how every year, a myriad of young inexperienced authors go "i don't like reading but I am creating a next Harry Potter" while storming writing forums.

I think the problem isn't inherently "media literacy is dying". But rather it has become increasingly harder for people, especially those new to a certain field to properly differentiate between a "good" and a "bad" analysis. It is the exact same reason youtube has put literal banners saying "hey, this news station is a public broadcasting company beloning to XZY" and "this is a registered medical professional from XYZ". Why you can look up to see if someone has a masters or PhD in something. Humans are gullible creatures and they like to just think the best of things. Why do you think so many beginner artists fall for Kooleen's art "tutorials" (oh yeah, Kooleen is a troll everyone)? Because sometimes, we are just too quick to trust anyone.

The problem isn't that media literacy is just died one day. But rather that media literacy is a zombie apocalypse and many are listening to the zombies instead of the doctors when it comes to opinions about media. And that the antidote (actually looking deeper into things in an academic level) is seen as "boring" or "not needed because i have youtube/tiktok/instagram" or whatever. And if people trust the zombies, they are going to become zombies. Media literacy is still alive, the problem is just amatures, beginners, whatever you may call it acting like professionals and trying to act like they have the same agency as everyone else.

So yeah, before you see like a take by a random person called "childesfangirl" or whatever using a random anime clip in the bakgrund while having text to speech read up their bad take. Remember that they don't have an essay in english, art history, film, and biomed. They are probably a 14 year old who will think about this take in about 4 years and just cringe.

What should worry us is how people are turning away from actual experts in a field. People becoming lazy and rather taking a cheaper option to affirm their thoughts rather than listen to someone who has the credentials to prove it. People would rather watch 4 youtube videos on something before checking in on what a professional has sad. Social media has allowed people to be lazy when seeking stuff. And that is the scary part.

TLDR: people have always had shitty opinions. But in a field of experts and a sea of inexperienced idiots. In a dopamin chasing landscape like social media. People will seek the quicker and faster option. The one that fulfills their biases. One that pits them against them vs us. Which is a problem that has existed even before social media, think the satanic panic where people would read a novel by a random paster on how DnD made your son worship satan than actually see how the game is played. The problem is, SHITTY OPINIONS ARE MUCH MUCH MORE AVAILABLE. And some people do in fact believe that YouTube is a replacement for school (I could make a whole rant about how children's entertainment has been ruined by youtube but that is for another day). Which it isn't please give some love for for teachers and librarians in these trying times okay.

[elcor-thespian]

The rule is for every hour I clean my house, I can spend one hour yapping about my digital children. SO:

I'm doing Rook and partner questions for each of my Rooks. One question at a time.

6) What are their favorite things to do together? Do they share any hobbies? Do they teach each other their hobbies?

Here are the couples:

Nephele Mercar (human rogue) - Lucanis

Nasreen Aldwir (elf mage) - Emmrich

Aleksei Laidir (elf rogue) - Bellara

Brenna Thorne (human warrior) - Davrin

Elspeth de Riva (dwarf warrior) - Harding

Konstantin Ingellvar (Qunari warrior) - Neve

Paloma (Qunari mage) - Taash

Nephele and Lucanis both cook, although she doesn't let him know that until they are officially together. Nephele is from Rivain and her cooking style reflects that, so they spend a lot of time experimenting in the kitchen together showing each other different recipes and techniques. Nephele has never been a good baker however, so Lucanis is trying to help her get better (it's not going well). But Nephele also sews, and she's trying to teach him and that's not going well either. She get's bored when trying to learn to knit and it doesn't make sense anyway because they live in Antiva WHEN are they going to wear all of these scarves and sweaters. Lucanis points out that she doesn't need to make her own clothes anymore either because they can pay someone to do it.

Nasreen because a rabid reader when she meets Emmrich. She's never felt one way or the other about reading, she just hasn't had consistent access to books. But she starts burning through his library and WHAT DO YOU MEAN that this isn't your full library? There's more?? As she's reading she's coming to him with questions which turn into long conversations and eventually (as she learns more) debates. What do you mean debating isn't a hobby? It is if you're doing it right. Also they both have an interest in plants, although Emmrich prefers flowers and she prefers poisonous and carnivorous plants. Nasreen also plays guitar and sings. Emmrich doesn't have any musical ability but he loves listening to her.

Aleksei is functionally illiterate which initially made him feel pretty out of his depth with Bellara. But he's not a quitter so he used it as a way to get closer to her and now they're working on hie reading and writing by writing stories together. He is however, naturally gifted in alchemy and chemistry, which is a fancy way of saying he can make shit that explodes. He also tinkers around with mechanical things. How did you think we got the gun for the Saboteur specialization? Bellara and Aleksei's first date.

Brenna and Davrin are that annoying ass couple that work out together and hike. I mean good for them. Just can't relate.

NEVER forget that Lace Harding was an official member of the Sing-quisition. NEVER. Can Elspeth sing? Not in the slightest. NEITHER of these idiots can cook, so most of the time they go out to eat and try new food in whatever city they've ended up in. Elspeth is really in to wine hand has a share in the Dellamorte Vineyards post-Veilguard (Lucanis was like, of sick, you want to take some of this responsibility off of me? Done.). She's not good at gardening (they are fighting for their life trying to keep a single succulent alive, so Lace helps with that aspect.

Konstantin is a talented charcoal artist and poet, but he absolutely does not share this. Neve finds out eventually, and shows him her doodles in her notes (you know the ones). Once he is officially assisting her detective work (He is her Watson and is THRILLED about it), he does composite drawings of suspects, sketches of crime scenes, etc. He also does a lot of reading (mostly history), and will read to Neve to help her relax.

Paloma and Taash is hard because they really are opposite people and I haven't played through the romance yet, and Paloma is the character I've played the least. Paloma and Taash do meditate together (for different reasons and with different results). I think Paloma does also get into the dragon stuff. I think it would be really hard to date Taash and not be in to dragons.

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Did someone say Helnik coded songs by indie artists who deserve more attention? Probably not but I’m gonna give you some anyway

See the Kanej version here :)

Witchcraft by Vian Izak - “Those fingers in my hair, that slight come hither stare, that strips my conscience bare it’s witchcraft” “it’s witchcraft, wicked witchcraft, and although I know it’s strictly taboo when you arouse the need in me my heart says “yes indeed” in me, proceed with what you’re leading me to”

Fair by The Amazing Devil aka THE helnik song argue with the wall- “she promises to fight them all, when it all becomes too much, and he, he curses at the world for leaving him behind he’s falling out of touch and she is stronger, than he’s ever been he knows” “she’ll turn to him and say “it’s not fair, it’s not fair how much I love you. It’s not fair, ‘cause you make me laugh when I’m actually really fucking cross at you for something” and he’ll say “oh how, oh how unreasonable. How unreasonably in love I am, with everything you do I’ll spend my days so close to you”” “he says “I know exactly what I want and it’s this life that we’ve created inundated with the fated thought of you and if you asked me to, if you asked me I would lose it all like petals in a storm, ‘cause darling I was born to press my head between your shoulder blades at night when light was fading””

Allies of Enemies by The Crane Wives - “Remember when I could tell you not to smile when you were mad? And you would always crack and we’d both be laughing in the end. Now you’re not so quick to forget. Are we allies or enemies? This will be the death of me” “all is fair in love and war but I can’t fight with you anymore, this will be the death of me”

Immortal by Reinaeiry - “Sometimes when I look in the mirror I still see your face resting on my shoulder, and my heart beats so fast that I start to feel alive again” “and I’ll always find you again and again and I’ll love every version of you and you’re never truly gone as long as a part of you in me lives on”

Till Forever Falls Apart by Ashe, FINNEAS - “Out on our own, dreaming in a world that we both know is out of our control, but if shit hits the fan we’re not alone” “and if the sky falls from Heaven above just know I had the best time falling into love, we’ve been living on a fault line and for a while you were all mine, I’ve spent a lifetime giving you my heart I swear that I’ll be yours forever til forever fall apart”

I might add more if I think of them, but for now this is the list and please feel free to add more!

[lunaria--annua]

Greetings, Viewer. 👁

I am divine, like you, like everyone. But only like some, I am also a God.

We are in a plane of existence high above the countless realms of fiction. Not bound by it's linear fates. But only some of us look into the space below, and see not what is, but what could be. Only some dare to forge a world with their own two hands.

Only some become artists, only some become gods.

Are you curious about my world?

For to fill the void, you have to plunge your hands, your tools, in ink. Any real material, so the process of creation can begin, to create something that does not truly exist. No like us, at least.

So behold! My biggest and every growing, ever changing creation to date, my fictional world: PHANTASTEREI

The name can be translated as Mad Fantasy, or Madly Fantasizing. The name sounds like the incantation of a spell too, hence why I found the name fitting.

I have created it, am creating it, and will continue creating it. Parts of it will and have become dated, I need you to be aware of this. I do not let it grow stagnant. I can never show you everything. It's too vast. But I will show you parts of it in many different ways. Words written, pictures drawn and painted, animated.

You know the true origin of the world, but the people within it have conjured their own myths. While they vary, The Four Deities are always at the centre of these tales.

The malevolent Light, The benevolent Dark, The trickster Magic and the only non-immortal, Mortality.

Forces of Nature, given consciousness.

There are so many places for humans to survive in.

There are the scattered islands from pole to pole, surrounded by the ocean. The fiery continent of deserts and savannah. The impossibly high rocky mountains of earth filled with caverns. Tropics with thin mountains and deep cliffs with so much space for air to fill. A continent so green, so bursting with floral life.

And no matter where, not even with natural innate magic by their side, which they pass down on every generation, humans are never completely safe. Never on top of the foodchain.

From sirens luring them into the waves, nagas stalking them through the dunes, false corpses catching them by surprise in the caves, fairies fluttering in the wind to trick them, or dryads hiding in the bushes with ill intent.

Everywhere where there are humans, there are their predators present too.

I've heard that God's shouldn't pick favourites… But, that's how often protagonists come to be. The reason why their god gives them special attention.

Look into the painting, do you see him? In the distance? The boy standing in front of his father's house, waving towards his beloved. Harbourer of two elements that at first glance, seem incompatible. Fire and Flora. 🔥🌿

Through bits and pieces, through different mediums, I will show you, just like with the rest of the world, his (and others) journey. I will use him, to show you the world. Typically not in a chronological manner, and constantly developing, like with everything.

The friend in black is Anyra, necromancer from a nearby village, but nothing like you are used to. You are used to them conjuring servants of bones and rotting flesh, playing some villainous role. But the target of her magic is herself. Resilient, keeping herself alive on the threshold of death, with not much magic left to preform any other undead tricks. ☠️

The one standing is the partner, Cadel. They possess two magical elements, giving them control over the realms of both birds and fish, the wind and water. Abilities like these can come useful in daring escapes or the endless exploring. This vagabond is quite the enigmatic one. Never staying in one place for long, and going places where no one goes. ☁️🌊

And of course, I will not forget about one more crucial person. The Dark Warlock - and while that sounds like quite the villainous title to you, it is not, if you recall the benevolence of The Dark… You can't see him in these paintings, but it will not be difficult to find him elsewhere here.

A warlock, powers granted by the deity, but it doesn't mean he didn't have his own type of magic before. One that has far more terrible associations in this world, similar to the wicked connotations you thought or felt when I first told you his title. He hides it with good reason, not wanting to be identified as who he was before The Dark possession.

However, dreadful deeds tend to not stay hidden forever. And especially in Ranaer's case, where the consequences of his past are inevitably engulfing his apprentice Krit, and Krit's beloved, in a tidal wave of problems and dangers, as the truth is slowly creeping into The Light.

[crodur]

''Humanities are unnecesary and a burden in modern society!'' is a statement that will never be valid, at least not as long as we get takes as moronic as this one.

Losing my mind at this guy. Literally a google search away. They do not even try to hide it. And most people who see this, according to the numbers in the tweet, do agree!

But it gets worse.

Those dumb guys in the primitive americas did not know how to write. Wait, what? What's this?

Wait, what? A mayan king commemorating an HISTORICAL battle by using WRITTEN GLYPHS? B-but they have no sense of time or writting! That must be a fluke!

Mmmh? But...?

A stel portraying a maya queen, with again written symbols mentioning her directly?

''No, those don't count, they're just dumb short phrases, they are surely uncapable of writting down coherent tex-''

Wow, the Dresden Codex, dated from 11th century (mayans were not even at their peak here) writting down their religion, customs, different gods and even complex astronomical movements all-in-one!

Those stone age troglodytes were surely lucky to be able to keep time counts in the thousands of years!

Okay, you're right. Mentioning mayans is cheating because they do not use enough ''actual words'' only drawn ones!

Forget the fact they had a whole ass syllabic system, that experts have been deciphering for decades.

By this rule of thumb, the japanese are all illiterate because they do not actually use words, but abstractions in the form of syllabes. Maya greatest mistake was to do their particles too artistically or something.

The previous tweet implied there was going to be a threat debunking whatever rambling that person was on about, but it stopped there. So... okay.

Regarding the aztecs, that would actually be somewhat accurate. They relied mostly on ideographic writting, but they also combined syllabes. They were still developing their language independently of the mayans. The process was interrupted by the arrival of the spanish crown.

However the writting of the aztecs is stupid and primitive because it doesnt resemble my latin alphabet enough AAAAGH! With such underdeveloped writting they wouldn't be able to write texts, let alone make librar-

Someone else answered, and it's literally the first google result right now, putting this curious image.

I wonder what it's trying to convey.

Solved. It's not a library because... well it's not! It's made of stone and has stupid scribblings stored. It's a nu-library!

How are we going to tell Asurbanipal his assyrian library does not count because it's just not a library, because we need to dunk on the americas?

Forget the books. The real reason they're regressive is because they had no wheel.

They obviously relegated the wheel to toys, because after inventing, polishing it, even using it metaphorically in their intrincate calendars, they decided they didn't know how to use it beyond children toys. It was, again, a skill issue.

Regarding armor and weapons, did you know spanish conquistadores discarded their plate mails and used cotton armor from the natives, far better resistant to rust, and able to disperse slashing and piercing damage with comparable success? Far more comfortable, mobile, and less prone to well, cooking you alive.

How come, also, that Mayas and Aztecs knew each other? They lived in different zones of Mexico with frontiers separated by kilometers? Their trading routes (shared) must have been a stroke of dumb luck.

Apparently if you don't cross the whole ass Pacific/Atlantic Ocean, it does not count. By the way, did anyone in China, India, Africa, Europe or even Australia know about the Native Americans?

Conclussion: If you exclude Mayans, Aztecs, a myriad of other cultures in the Americas, their issolation to the rest of the continents, their set of beliefs, languages, structures, trade routes, traditions, libraries and use of the wheel among some other ''tiny'' advancements... well, you're right. They end being quite primitive.

I guess that's their fault. Maybe they should have conquered us first or some crap.

Those morons and their obscure scribblings.

PD: I excluded this person name in purpose. Do not send harassment to them. This generalized ignorance of America cultures does not radiate from a single person, instead is a shared set of common beliefs. We must combat the biased takes in constructive ways.

[zoeykallus]

Giiiiiirl! We all need some Tech, but something soft and chaste, complicated, slow burning, very angsty! And with some heartache, don't forget the heartache!

😮... erm... Anoooon! Lucky for you, I have something in my wips I could work on that feels like it fits this profile... in a way... I guess. Heartache? Okay, but don't come crying to me later. It was originally a draft with my OC (Which I never would have finished or published anyway), but I think I can fix it up.

Tech/Howzer x 'Jedi'!Fem!Reader - Shortfic / Oneshot - The Misfits

Warnings: Angst/Hurt/Fluff/Heartache/!!!!MAJOR SPOILER FOR TBB S2!!!!!

_____________________

After you fell in love with Howzer, you left the Order. You haven't seen him for a long time and according to rumors he is most likely no longer alive.

In your search for answers to where all the clones are disappearing to, you stumble upon a squad of clones in desperate need of help.

_____________________

AC: I changed some timeline related things as well as canon itself and call it artistic freedom 🙂. Depending on your point of view, there is a happy ending, or there is none. Or a bit of both. I totally went over board with this, but I kinda love it. It's probably one of my favorite things I worked on.

______________________

Above him, the life of his squad hangs by a thread; below him is a yawning void, a deep abyss. Within a few heartbeats, Tech has calculated all possible scenarios. There is only one way out, one way only. He can save his family if he sacrifices himself. Plan 99. Wrecker and Omega beg him not to cut the connection, Hunter even orders him to.

"When have we ever followed orders," Tech says, drawing his blaster.

Every move, that what he needs to do is logical, but it feels surreal, heavy-handed. His heart is pounding up to his throat, yet he feels strangely calm. He knows he's doing the right thing. Tech doesn't want to go, but it's a necessity to ensure the continued existence of Clone Force 99, to give his brothers and Omega a chance to survive.

The few seconds in which he aims and pulls the trigger are forever, seeming almost infinite to him. He hears his brothers calling for him and Omega's screams. In the next moment, the connection is cut, and he drops falls, his stomach tingling, everything tingling, but his muscles relaxed. His heart is racing, but his mind is calm and unusually empty for the first time in a long time.

But something is wrong, his fall slows down, even his direction of flight changes. His mind awakens again. Tech looks around, tries to orientate himself, and realizes that he is heading for one of the towers along which the cable car runs. He has no idea what is happening, there is no logical explanation, no updrafts strong enough, he has no wings and no way to control his fall, it makes no sense.

He gets close enough to grab one of the crossbars on the tower. His heart leaps as his fall stops, and he clings to the tower. Tech still can't quite grasp that he's alive, doesn't quite understand what just happened. A surge of euphoria floods his body; he doesn't have to die.

But his mind sobers up very quickly. His gaze shoots upward. The car with his brothers is moving again, but disproportionately fast, they would very likely crash into the stop.

Up above the tracks he sees a figure, a woman, she moves quickly, elegantly, dodging shots, but most interesting, she wields a green lightsaber with which she deflects the blaster shots of the Imperials.

"A Jedi," he says to himself.

Then comes the realization. He didn't fly, the Jedi must have saved him. Tech begins to hastily climb down, he must be on the ground on foot trying to reach his brothers in time. At the bottom, even as he runs, he hears the car crash into the platform. His guts want to tie themselves in knots, but he keeps running, can only hope that no one is too badly hurt.

You see dust and smoke swirl up as you jump down from the tracks into the crash site. Behind you, you hear hurried footsteps. The one you rescued earlier also reaches the crash site. He stops for a moment, stares at you, his eyes big. Finally, he rushes past you into the wreckage to check on his companions.

Some of them are injured, not fatally, but too badly to fight.

"I assume you have a shuttle," you say, more or less addressing everyone.

"Who's that?" the biggest of them asks with a groan, holding his aching ribs.

You wave it off and say, "We can work that out later. I'll back you up on the way to your shuttle if you'll take me. The imperials shot down my shuttle," you say, helping the girl to her feet, who looks at you wide-eyed, then at Tech.

"TECH!"

The girl hugs the man fiercely as tears stream down her face.

"You're alive!" she says as if she can't believe it.

He wipes away her tears and says gently but firmly, "You need to pull yourself together for a moment, Omega, first we need to get out of here"

"Go!" growls the one with the longer hair and bandana, "No time".

He grits his teeth, stumbles limping through the rubble and almost falls, but you grab his arm and help him. You can sense his pain.

"Thank you," he presses out in anguish, between clenched teeth.

Under fire, you rush back to the shuttle as fast as you can. Tech helps the sergeant, the big one named Wrecker holds up on his own. You fend off incoming shots, more than a few of which would hit one back or another without your help. The blade of the laser sword hums, buzzing through the air like an extension of your body, every movement, fluid and natural.

Tech keeps looking over his shoulder, fascinated. He's seen many a Jedi, but somehow, there is something different about you, something that already draws him in.

Pabu is beautiful, peaceful and the people refreshingly warm. A good place to come to rest, at least temporarily. However, you are a bit frustrated at the moment, your attempts to repair your holopad have failed. Annoyed, you place the device back down on the half-wall in front of you.

"Fuck it," you grumble to yourself as you hear a soft noise behind you.

You turn and see Tech, his helmet tucked under his arm, looking at you in surprise with raised brows. He's unobtrusive, yet somehow always near you.

"Excuse my choice of words," you say with a wry smile.

He shrugs carefully and says, "I may not be a fan of that language, but it doesn't bother me much either. However, I must say that this choice of words surprises me, hearing it from a Jedi. I don't think I've ever heard a Jedi swear before."

You laugh softly.

"What makes you think I'm a Jedi?"

Tech blinks thoughtfully, adjusts his goggles with his index finger, and says, "Well, I thought it was obvious. You carry a lightsaber, use the Force, and you are clearly not a Sith."

You nod slowly, "Yes, I can understand why you would come to that conclusion. But I'm not a Jedi, not anymore, not for a few years now."

He extends his hand to you invitingly and says, "May I help you with that?"

You pick up the holopad again and pass it to him. As he deftly takes the device apart, he cautiously asks, "May I ask why you left the Order?"

You sigh softly and sit down on the half-wall, looking down at the beach for a moment as if searching for an answer there, then look at Tech again.

"I never really fit in with the Jedi. You could say among the Jedi I was an outsider to some extent."

Tech looks up curiously from the holopad. He notes that this is something that connects you, he and his brothers never really fit in among the other clones either. He says, "That must have been difficult."

You nod with a sigh, "Sometimes more, sometimes less. I lacked that absolute calm, that restraint. Although I grew up in the Order from a very young age, I have never been able to put aside my emotional nature. The decision that I had to leave the Order was made when I fell in love."

Tech looks up again, blinking, you sense unease beneath his surface.

"In love?" he asks, swallowing, "Oh. Jedi aren't supposed to do that, are they?"

"No, they shouldn't. Well, it happens to many actually, but a real Jedi, cuts themselves loose from it, I didn't want that to happen."

The little, "Oh" that comes across his lips sounds oddly vulnerable.

Tech is still tinkering with your holopad when he asks, "And what happened to that love of yours?"

You swallow and feel an uncomfortable pressure on your chest as you answer quietly, "I don't know. I haven't seen him in a very long time. He was stationed on Ryloth. After Order 66, I couldn't possibly go there, too many clones in one place, and… I was terrified that he had succumbed to the chip as well. If he had tried to kill me, I don't think I could have stomached it. But from what I've heard, he's probably no longer alive anyway."

Tech looks at you in surprise.

"The man you loved was a reg?"

You frown and repeat, "Reg?"

He shakes his head apologetically.

"Sorry. Regular clone, meaning clones that haven't been modified like Clone Force 99"

"Oh, I see," you say understandingly, "Yes, by that standard I suppose he was a Reg. As far as I've heard, he ultimately acted contrary to programming. He was arrested for treason when he liberated the Syndulla family"

Tech looks up again.

"Howzer?" he asks, surprised.

"Yeah," you say, also surprised, "You know him?"

"[Knowing him] is probably too much of a word. We ran into him. At the Syndullas liberation operation. For that matter, I'm afraid I have to confirm the rumor you heard, Howzer really has been arrested by the Empire for treason."

Your heart grows heavy. You swallow. You feel a slight burning behind your eyes and the bridge of your nose.

"Then I guess he really is dead," you say with a heavy sigh, "Actually, I'm not surprised, I was already expecting it, and we haven't seen each other in over a year, but it still hurts."

Tech put the holopad back together. He gently presses the device into your hand, holding your hand almost tenderly for a brief moment as he does so.

"I'm sorry."

He's really sorry, but part of him feels relief that Howzer can't be a part of your life anymore, and he's ashamed of it. In fact, he's shocked at how he feels about you and how that realization affects him.

As Tech lets go of you, he says softly, "Your holopad is working again."

You blink and look at the device.

"Thank you so much. You're really handy with these things, aren't you?"

Tech smiles gently.

"At the risk of sounding smug, I have to say, 'handy' is probably an understatement, but yes".

Tech's heart beats faster when he sees you enter the room. He looks up, smiles at you briefly, and nervously turns his attention back to the cards lying on a box in front of him.

"You're playing… Against yourself?" you ask, surprised.

He nods and says as a matter of course, "Of course, that's the only way this game is still a challenge for me."

Your soft laugh, turns his cheeks a little pink.

"I actually believe you," you say, amused.

You glance over his shoulder.

"You're probably really good at this, you'll have to teach me when you have the time".

Tech's shoulders tighten proudly, he turns his head to the side to look at you shyly for a moment and shows you his cute little smile, just very briefly, but adorably cute.

You are so close, very close to him, for a moment he can smell your scent even more clearly than before and a shiver runs through his body. If he wasn't sitting right now, Tech is sure, his knees would buckle under him. What's happening to him here, what are you doing to him? Does this have something to do with the Force? Tech doesn't dare ask. But he feels something like a connection, and he feels all warm. Maybe he's just incubating a disease. Are there parasites on Pabu that he doesn't know about?

His thoughts are racing in all directions, but then you move again, sit down opposite him. His gaze follows you, spellbound. Tech blinks several times, trying to collect himself. Spending time with you is so wonderful in a way, so exciting, but it also completely messes with his head.

"Are we going to play a game? Will you teach me?"

His mouth opens, but it takes him a long moment to find his voice again.

"I… yes, I'd love to. But the circumstances aren't exactly fair. My mind is… special, it will be anything but easy to win against me"

With a soft laugh whose sound tickles all the way to his stomach, you say, "I don't have to win, first I just want to learn"

You learn quickly. Surprised, with a very slight tinge of frustration, and not a little appreciation, he notes that you soon beat him over and over again.

"No one has ever won against me until now," he says, impressed, but also thoughtful.

Part of him was hoping to impress you, but now he almost feels a little intimidated.

You smirk.

"Well, this is a game where a lot depends on how well you know your opponent and how to interpret their behavior. I have a simple advantage, I can sense your intentions in the Force, maybe the circumstances really aren't fair."

His pulse races. Instead of being angry that you more or less cheated through the Force, panic rises in him. If you can sense his intentions, can you sense what you are triggering in him?!

You tilt your head slightly to the side and look at him questioningly, which only emphasizes his fear. Tech jumps up, nearly knocking over the box still containing your playing cards.

"I have to take care of something," he stammers and runs out of the room a little too hastily.

Echo enters the cockpit of the Marauder in search of Tech. He finds him there, too, using a medical scanner on himself. Echo's brows go up questioningly.

"Tech, what's wrong?"

Startled, Tech looks up, collects himself, and finally answers, "I'm looking for traces of a disease or parasite."

Concerned, Echo moves closer.

"So you're not feeling well?"

Tech sighs and says, "It's hard to tell. I'm showing certain symptoms"

"Which are?"

"Increased heart rate, queasy feeling in stomach, sweaty palms, shaky knees".

Echo frowns and says, "That doesn't sound like a parasite."

Echo thinks for a moment and then something occurs to him. With a certain undertone, he asks, "Those symptoms wouldn't happen to show up in connection with our Jedi guest?"

Tech lowers the scanner and looks critically at Echo.

"Are you suggesting she might have infected me with something?"

Echo says, amused, "More or less. She's pretty, she's nice, well she's special."

Tech sighs softly and says, "I agree."

Echo sits down in the copilot seat, looks at Tech and says, "You'd rather be sick than in love?"

"In love?!" echoes Tech in near panic.

His brother raises his hands placatingly.

"Relax, it's a normal thing, not the end of the world. But it's also natural to have a certain respect for these feelings. They make us vulnerable and as soldiers we are trained to avoid such things, especially as clones. But there are no regulations anymore, you could take the leap and explore these feelings."

Techs heart beats faster, just the thought that there might be something between you sends what feels like millions of signals through his body.

"Are you scared?"

Tech gulps.

"I'm not sure about that, in a way I guess I am. She can use the Force, maybe she already knows, maybe she's already sensed what I'm feeling."

Echo shrugs.

"I suppose it's possible. But so far it doesn't seem to me like she's avoiding you, that's a good sign after all."

Tech nods slowly, agreeing with his brother.

The sun is slowly setting, but it is still wonderfully warm. Your hands rest on the waist-high stone wall in front of you and feel the warmth of the sun stored in it, which has been shining on it all day. A real, pleasant feeling. Then you feel something else, with your mind.

"Hey, Tech. Did you get done what you needed to get done?"

You turn to him with a smile. It's almost unusual to see him without his datapad in his hand. Tech stands next to you and looks out at the ocean and how the sun seems to be sinking into the water on the horizon.

"Yes, I have," he says softly.

You can sense that something is going on beneath his surface, he is excited and euphoric at the same time, but outwardly he seems quite calm. You look at each other, you feel it coming, but you don't move a muscle. Unsure if you want to let it happen or not. He leans towards you, his lips chastely touching your cheek, then he straightens up again with blushing cheeks and looks out at the water again, unable to face your gaze.

It's a strange feeling. You like Tech a lot, you can't quite place it yet, but something about it feels wrong, maybe because you can't quite release Howzer from your heart yet.

"Sorry," he says suddenly, "I didn't mean to cross any lines."

You sigh softly and carefully reach for his hand. Tech's heart overflows with joyful excitement, you can feel it, it practically spills over to you, but you pull yourself together.

"There's something you should know, Tech."

He does finally look at you again, questioningly.

"You can tell me anything," he says quietly.

With a cautious smile, you nod and say, "I can feel what you feel for me, at least I think I can. These feelings, I must admit, are not entirely one-sided."

There is great joy radiating from him, nervousness, euphoria, but also a bitter undertone of insecurity.

He says, "I have a feeling there's still a 'but' there."

You nod again and say, "My heart is not ready to let go of Howzer. I know he's most likely no longer among the living, but I'm not ready to let him go just yet."

"Oh," Tech says quietly, "That's not a problem. I, um, I can wait until you're ready."

"I can't ask you to do that, I don't know how long it will take" you say uncertainly, lowering your eyes.

You would love to let him hug and comfort you, just let go and snuggle up to Tech's side, but something, hidden deep inside you, prevents you from doing so.

Tech repeats determinedly, "I can wait," and very gently squeezes your fingers in his hand.

At that moment, your heart opens a little wider to him and his, adorably sweet, little, smile.

"Rex is coming to Pabu," Hunter says, "And he's bringing some more of our brothers with him that he was able to rescue from the clutches of the Empire."

You remember Rex, a little bit, anyway. A decent guy, good soldier, he was Skywalker's Clone Captain. Skywalker was the only Jedi at the time who seemed to understand you to some extent, at least you always had a good conversation with him. You wonder where he is now, if he is still alive. But a noise pulls you out of your thoughts.

A shuttle is approaching and lands next to the Marauder, which suddenly seems quite small in comparison. The ramp opens and Rex emerges from it, followed by several other clones.

Tech shows up next to you, giving you a gentle smile before focusing on the arrivals, his datapad in hand as usual.

You greet the new arrivals. Rex even recognizes you, you talk for a moment when you hear someone say, "Hey little Jedi."

There is only one man who has ever called you that.

"Howzer", the name comes across your lips like a whisper.

You turn around and see him standing in front of you. He looks tired, but the smile on his face is still irresistible. Neither of you think for long. You embrace each other stormily and Howzer engages you in a long, longing kiss.

As his lips part from yours, he leans his forehead against yours and says, "Honestly, I hardly dared to hope I'd ever see you again, beautiful."

The world around you has faded out, there is only Howzer and you, even though all eyes are on you. Some confused, others amused. But you also feel Tech's shock, poking through all the other sensations surrounding you, like an electric shock.

The datapad in his hands crackles and creaks protestingly under the pressure of Tech's fingers as he watches your kiss. He didn't expect this, didn't expect Howzer to ever appear on the scene again.

Tech could have imagined waiting until you were ready for him, but this changes everything. The realization is like a shock, and a wave of bitterness rolls over him against his will.

The datapad cracks in his hands. Echo next to him stares in disbelief at the kissing scene, then his gaze shifts to Tech with concern.

"Tech…" he says softly, but Tech drops the datapad to the floor, turns on his heel, and walks away in a hurry.

Hunter and Echo exchange a frown, a worried look.

"I'll go check on him," Echo says, and sets about following Tech.

That same evening, you're sitting on the beach with Howzer, holding hands, talking, telling each other all the things that happened during the time you were apart. Then you feel it again, the tentative, tender presence of Tech. You turn your head and look up at him.

You haven't seen him since this morning, since Rex and Howzer arrived. You don't know where he's been or what he's been doing during that time. But since Echo followed him and also stayed gone all day, you suspect he was talking to his brother.

"I'm sorry to bother you. I know you probably have a lot to talk about, but I'd like to ask for a private conversation," Tech says in a matter-of-fact tone.

Howzer frowns questioningly, but when you agree and leave with Tech, he has no objections, trusting you and waiting on the beach as Tech and you walk away, out of earshot and sight.

"I know," Tech begins, "Things have changed now, of course. Howzer's still alive, and I don't presume to make demands or get in the way. I'm very fond of you, and even though I'd like to be in Howzer's place, all I really want is for you to be happy."

His pain is deep and more intense than you expect, you can feel it almost as clearly as if it were your own.

"I'm so sorry, I-"

Tech raises his hand.

"No, don't be. Neither my feelings nor the current situation are your fault. You should be happy, you have the man you love back."

Everything inside you tightens. Yes he is right, you should be happy, but you are not, not completely. But maybe that's just what you feel going out from Tech.

"Something about this whole situation doesn't feel right," you say so softly that he almost doesn't hear it.

He smiles sadly and says, "That's just because you're a good person, you have a good heart. You know that I feel pain, and you would like to change that. But you can't, this is something that will heal with time."

You take a deep breath, stand on your tiptoes, and he leans towards you. You gently kiss Tech's cheek and say, "You know I still care about you immensely, right?"

He swallows, finally nods, and says, barely audibly, "I know that."

As you part ways, he stares after you for a long time as his hand automatically moves to his cheek and his fingers settle on the spot where you kissed him. He will never forget this moment.

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

@meshla-madalene

@chxpsi

@thebahdbitch

@nahoney22 @ladykatakuri

@darkangel4121

@ttzamara

@arctrooper69

@padawancat97

@agenteliix

@allsystemsblue

@palliateclaw

@either-madness-or-brilliance

@ortizshinkaroff

@andy-solo1

@hunterssecretrecipe

@heyitsaloy

@greaser-wolf

@extrahotpixels

@hated-by-me

@hunterxcrosshair

@malicemercy

@bebopsworld

@echos-girlfriend

@cpnt616

@dangraccoon

@jediknightjana

@pb-jellybeans

@starwarsnerd111

[thedarkmaidenn]

The artwork of Brian Froud that tugged on the heart strings I didn’t know I had.

(Not every image is from the Faeries Oracle, but all images are that of Brian Froud and his brilliance)

“In the heart of the forest stands an old oak tree Existing through centuries, rooted in history Only if you believe will it let you see The magic that lives beneath it’s bark and within it’s leaves There at the center of its massive trunk Will be a wooden door, unlike any other one If brave enough to enter, you will see That another world exists, just beyond the trees”

-Marissa Orton (followherglow OR maiden_to_motherpoetry)

The kind of Masculine energy I need 💙

Brian Froud is my favorite artist. I’ll never forget the summer of 2020. I spent it on the river getting to know The Faeries Oracle Deck, written by Jessica MacBeth and illustrated by Brian Froud. When I bought the deck, I had no idea that it would unlock an innocence within me that i thought to be dead and gone. There is magic in these images. So much magic, wonder, brilliance and beauty. Brian Froud gives us a face to attach to the Fae, nature spirits and elementals. It’s as if he’s giving us a peak into a realm that absolutely exists around us, but cannot be seen with the naked eye. Maybe it’s not important that we see the Faeries, maybe feeling them with our heart is what really matters. The Faeries Oracle Deck gave me permission to let myself believe in faeries/nature spirits/elementals etc. I spent an entire summer on the shores of the river, exploring the deck and talking to the Faeries around me. At first, I felt silly and stupid for talking to the air. I think we’re conditioned to believe that it’s seen as silly and mentally unstable to believe in such things as an adult. But it didn’t take long before I began to feel something different and unusual, in the best way. The empty air began to feel more full and alive. By talking to the Faeries, I was inviting their presence. I felt them all around me and began to see them with my minds eye. I regained my childlike innocence and sparks of creative inspiration were popping off left and right. I connected to a source that I would not have connected to if not for Brian Froud and Jessica MacBeth. And for that, i am forever gratful, beyond belief or words.

There came a time when life resumed after the pandemic. I didn’t get to go to the river as often as usual. One day I went back after being away for a while. I was kind of devastated to discover that what was once a magical place full of invisible life now felt empty and vacant. I couldn’t feel the Faeries anymore and i chalked it up to it all being in my mind to begin with. It discouraged me for a little while until I decided to put effort in trying to connect to them again. Maybe it is all in my mind, or maybe.. just maybe, the Faeries were pissed at me for leaving them for so long. Turns out that they’re a lot like us, according to the Oracle deck, the Faeries take things personally, and you should never break the promises you make to them. I broke a few promises to the Faeries, and I had to work for their forgivness so that they may grace me with their presence again. Eventually they did, and I haven’t lost them since.

This could all just be the ramblings of a 29 year old chick who so desperately wants Faeries to be real. I could be delusional, mentally ill or silly. Or maybe Faeries exist when you allow yourself to believe that they do, and interact with them like you would an old friend. Maybe allowing yourself to believe in magic is what makes it real in the first place. One thing I do know, is that i want my life to be full of magic and possibility, because that makes life worth living to me.

And if you’ve read everything, thanks for listening. ♥️ 🧚 Now go get your copy of the Faeries Oracle so that you may feel what I felt 4 years ago at the River, and still to this day.

[theidiotwhowritesthings]

Din Djarin x Reader playlist?

SAY LESS. Okay, so this is a messy ass playlist. Basically, it has no real thought to it, but was created solely on vibes. If I heard a song that screamed Din Djarin x Reader (specifically for 'A Fresh Start') then it made the list.

side note if someone who is artistically inclined would like to make me a cute little banner for this story i would love you forever. i am good at one thing and it is sometimes stringing words together in a coherent and amusing way.

Hello My Old Heart The Oh Hellos

"Hello my old heart/ It's been so long/ Since I've given you away/ And everyday I add another stone/ To the walls I built around you/ To keep you safe."

Kill For Your Love Labrinth

"I'll kill, I'll kill for a little drop of your good love/ I'll rob and steal stars to keep it lit up in your world/ The alphabet need only U and S/ Cause all we'll ever need is us."

die first Nessa Barrett

"But if one of us dies/ I hope I die first/ Cause I don't wanna live without you/ I don't wanna ever learn/ How to fall asleep without you."

Ocean (ft. Khalid) Martin Garrix

"You could put an ocean between our love, love, love/ It won't keep us apart/ You could build a wall I would run it up, up, up/ Just to get to your heart."

I Could Use a Love Song Maren Morris

"I could use a love song/ That takes me back, just like that/ When it comes on/ To a time when I wouldn't roll my eyes/ At a guy and a girl/ who make it work in a world/ That for me so far just seems to go so wrong."

ceilings Lizzy McAlpine

"Bed sheets, no clothes/ Touch me like nobody else does/ Lovely to just lay here with you/ You're kinda cute and I would say all of this/ But I don't wanna ruin the moment."

Oh My Stars Andrew Belle

"Everything you see is ours, or it could be if you would try/ I wish you would, I wish you might, oh/ If everything you've said to me has been true, oh/ Then all my stars are leadin' me to you, oh."

The Anchor Bastille

"Morning, noon, day, or night/ You were the light that is blinding me/ You're the anchor that I tie to my brain/ Cause when it feels like I'm lost at sea/ You're the song I sing again and again/ All the time, all the time/ I think of you all the time."

Castaway Brett Eldridge

"If I got smart, I'd trade my wings for your heart/ And I'd promise to never chase the wind/ I look up at the moon, but all I see is you/ And I'm reminded I need your love again."

this is what falling in love feels like JVKE

"I got a lot on my mind/ Got some more on my plate/ My baby got me looking forward/ To the end of the day/ What you say?/ You and me?/ Just forget about the past."

Parachute Kyndal Inskeep & Song House

"Who knew/ I'd be falling like I am with you/ Heart's up in my throat that's what you do/ Love is pretty scary when it's true/ And oh we know/ Every step is like walking on a tight rope/ Gravity is begging me to let go/ Love is pretty scary when it's true/ Afraid of height but you're my parachute."

To Hell & Back Maren Morris

"Now heartbreak ain't a competition/ But I took it in a landslide/ The skeletons I wanted to bury/ You liked out in the light/ You didn't save me/ You didn't think I needed saving/ You didn't change me/ You didn't think I needed changing."

Powerful (ft. Ellie Goudling) Major Lazer

"There's an energy when you hold me/ When you touch me, it's so powerful/ I couldn't leave if I wanted to/ Cause something keeps pulling me back to you."

Dandelions Ruth B.

"I think that you are the one for me/ Cause it gets so hard to breathe/ When you're looking at me/ I've never felt so alive and free/ When you're looking at me/ I've never felt so happy."

Crashing (ft. Bahari) ILLENIUM

"Hey, are you really this good?/ Damn, are you really this good?/ Baby, you're just like a drug/ I'd bottle you up if I could."

Tell me what you think? Is there one song here that you think really encapsulates Din and our reader?? Do you have a suggestion or a song you think of when you read A Fresh Start??