#background iron triangle

[felassan]

Taash's art piece is just so beautiful! With how windy it looks (her hair blowing around), the blue-green background, and the wave-like pattern in the background, it gives the impression of the rushing sea. (and with the rushing sea, it has a sense of adventure!). The ocean background makes sense - she is affiliated with the Lords of Fortune, a group with a cephalopod logo and who are based out of Rivain, a nation almost completely surrounded by the sea. Their vibe/aesthetic has been described as incorporating a pirate-y element, they have ships, and they were said to hold dominion over the coasts of Rivain. We've also seen in-game shots now of a Rivaini shore that we will visit, complete with bright blue-green sea. the eye-like pattern in the sea in the top right and some of the 'triangles' in the sea remind me of dragons and sea-serpents.

With Taash's design, the 'protruding' parts of her armor, like around her shoulders (two, three) look like they could be dragon-scales. Trophies from dragon hunts? :) In Thedas, armor can be made from dragonscale. I wonder, is the jade-looking horn (the same color as the sea) a covering for that horn, or a straight-up replacement horn? We can see here that it has polished planes and cut edges in the manner of a cut gem. Gold coins fall around her, fitting for someone affiliated with a piratey, treasure-hunting faction. The red threads, rope-like in appearance, remind me of that aspect of some Qunari armor/clothing. In this piece they sort of flow around her in places, but we can see here for example that they're an element of her clothing. I wonder if she's Qunari, Tal-Vashoth or Vashoth. Being associated with a group originating in Rivain, maybe she's from Kont-aar or its surrounds, a coastal city in northern Rivain that is the only peaceful Qunari settlement on the mainland continent? Her gold jewelry and items are beautiful. Jewelry seems to be a notable part of clothing in Rivain, and among the Lords of Fortune, those that survive for more than a few years wear their treasures, charms and other items. It seems like Taash is a successful Lord of Fortune(/adjacent), someone who has found/won many treasures and accomplished great feats. The gold dragon at her collarbone is a cool touch.

Maybe it was Taash who wrote this Codex, and the title is alliterative, "Taash Talks"? The writer comes across like a dragon enthusiast and it references being near the shore/sea. Iron Bull once said "So, when you face a dragon, does it get your heart pumping? Do you breathe a little faster, feel the blood racing?" (in the DA:TV trailer, Varric says that they will need someone "with fire in their blood" to face dragons). And from this blurb, something has been unsettling the dragons in Rivain, in a way that dovetails in the Lord of Fortunes being concerned with it:

Upon eastern shores and sunkissed sands, the Lords of Fortune no longer hold dominion over the coasts of Rivain – not when dragons are growing bolder and laying wastes to their ships.

[source]

[niteshade925]

April 14, Xi'an, China, Shaanxi History Museum, Qin and Han Dynasties Branch (Part 3 – Innovations and Philosophies):

(Edit: sorry this post came out so late, I got hit by the truck named life and had to get some rest, and this post in itself took some effort to research. But anyway it's finally up, please enjoy!)

A little background first, because this naming might lead to some confusions.....when you see location adjectives like "eastern", "western", "northern", "southern" added to the front of Zhou dynasty, Han dynasty, Song dynasty, and Jin/晋 dynasty, it just means the location of the capital city has changed. For example Han dynasty had its capital at Chang'an (Xi'an today) in the beginning, but after the very brief but not officially recognized "Xin dynasty" (9 - 23 AD; not officially recognized in traditional Chinese historiography, it's usually seen as a part of Han dynasty), Luoyang became the new capital. Because Chang'an is geographically to the west of Luoyang, the Han dynasty pre-Xin is called Western Han dynasty (202 BC - 8 AD), and the Han dynasty post-Xin is called Eastern Han dynasty (25 - 220 AD). As you can see here, in these cases this sort of adjective is simply used to indicate different time periods in the same dynasty.

Model of a dragonbone water lift/龙骨水车, Eastern Han dynasty. This is mainly used to push water up to higher elevations for the purpose of irrigation:

Model of a water-powered bellows/冶铁水排, Eastern Han dynasty. Just as the name implies, as flowing water pushes the water wheel around, the parts connected to the axle will pull and push on the bellows alternately, delivering more air to the furnace for the purpose of casting iron.

The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art/《九章算术》, Fangcheng/方程 chapter. It’s a compilation of the work of many scholars from 10 th century BC until 2 nd century AD, and while the earliest authors are unknown, it has been edited and supplemented by known scholars during Western Han dynasty (also when the final version of this book was compiled), then commented on by scholars during Three Kingdoms period (Kingdom of Wei) and Tang dynasty. The final version contains 246 example problems and solutions that focus on practical applications, for example measuring land, surveying land, construction, trading, and distributing taxes. This focus on practicality is because it has been used as a textbook to train civil servants. Note that during Han dynasty, fangcheng means the method of solving systems of linear equations; today, fangcheng simply means equation. For anyone who wants to know a little more about this book and math in ancient China, here’s an article about it. (link goes to pdf)

Diagram of a circle in a right triangle (called “勾股容圆” in Chinese), from the book Ceyuan Haijing/《测圆海镜》 by Yuan-era mathematician Li Ye/李冶 (his name was originally Li Zhi/李治) in 1248.  Note that Pythagorean Theorem was known by the name Gougu Theorem/勾股定理 in ancient China, where gou/勾 and gu/股 mean the shorter and longer legs of the right triangle respectively, and the hypotenuse is named xian/弦 (unlike what the above linked article suggests, this naming has more to do with the ancient Chinese percussion instrument qing/磬, which is shaped similar to a right triangle).  Gougu Theorem was recorded in the ancient Chinese mathematical work Zhoubi Suanjing/《周髀算经》, and the name Gougu Theorem is still used in China today.

Diagram of the proof for Gougu Theorem in Zhoubi Suanjing. The sentence on the left translates to "gou (shorter leg) squared and gu (longer leg) squared makes up xian (hypotenuse) squared", which is basically the equation a² + b² = c². Note that the character for "squared" here (mi/幂) means "power" today.

This is a diagram of Zhang Heng’s seismoscope, called houfeng didong yi/候风地动仪 (lit. “instrument that measures the winds and the movements of the earth”).  It was invented during Eastern Han dynasty, but no artifact of houfeng didong yi has been discovered yet, this is presumably due to constant wars at the end of Eastern Han dynasty.  All models and diagrams that exist right now are what historians and seismologists think it should look like based on descriptions from Eastern Han dynasty. This diagram is based on the most popular model by Wang Zhenduo that has an inverted column at the center, but this model has been widely criticized for its ability to actually detect earthquakes. A newer model that came out in 2005 with a swinging column pendulum in the center has shown the ability to detect earthquakes, but has yet to demonstrate ability to reliably detect the direction where the waves originate, and is also inconsistent with the descriptions recorded in ancient texts. What houfeng didong yi really looks like and how it really works remains a mystery.

Xin dynasty bronze calipers, the earliest sliding caliper found as of now (not the earliest caliper btw). This diagram is the line drawing of the actual artifact (right).

Ancient Chinese "Jacquard" loom (called 提花机 or simply 花机 in Chinese, lit. "raise pattern machine"), which first appeared no later than 1st century BC. The illustration here is from the Ming-era (1368 - 1644) encyclopedia Tiangong Kaiwu/《天工开物》. Basically it's a giant loom operated by two people, the person below is the weaver, and the person sitting atop is the one who controls which warp threads should be lifted at what time (all already determined at the designing stage before any weaving begins), which creates patterns woven into the fabric. Here is a video that briefly shows how this type of loom works (start from around 1:00). For Hanfu lovers, this is how zhuanghua/妆花 fabric used to be woven, and how traditional silk fabrics like yunjin/云锦 continue to be woven. Because it is so labor intensive, real jacquard silk brocade woven this way are extremely expensive, so the vast majority of zhuanghua hanfu on the market are made from machine woven synthetic materials.

Chinese purple is a synthetic pigment with the chemical formula BaCuSi2O6. There's also a Chinese blue pigment. If anyone is interested in the chemistry of these two compounds, here's a paper on the topic. (link goes to pdf)

A list of common colors used in Qin and Han dynasties and the pigments involved. White pigment comes from chalk, lead compounds, and powdered sea shells; green pigment comes from malachite mineral; blue pigment usually comes from azurite mineral; black comes from pine soot and graphite; red comes from cinnabar; ochre comes from hematite; and yellow comes from realgar and orpiment minerals.

Also here are names of different colors and shades during Han dynasty. It's worth noting that qing/青 can mean green (ex: 青草, "green grass"), blue (ex: 青天, "blue sky"), any shade between green and blue, or even black (ex: 青丝, "black hair") in ancient Chinese depending on the context. Today 青 can mean green, blue, and everything in between.

Western Han-era bronze lamp shaped like a goose holding a fish in its beak. This lamp is interesting as the whole thing is hollow, so the smoke from the fire in the lamp (the fish shaped part) will go up into the neck of the goose, then go down into the body of the goose where there's water to catch the smoke, this way the smoke will not be released to the surrounding environment. There are also other lamps from around the same time designed like this, for example the famous gilt bronze lamp that's shaped like a kneeling person holding a lamp.

Part of a Qin-era (?) clay drainage pipe system:

A list of canals that was dug during Warring States period, Qin dynasty, and pre-Emperor Wu of Han Han dynasty (475 - 141 BC). Their purposes vary from transportation to irrigation. The name of the first canal on the list, Hong Gou/鸿沟, has already become a word in Chinese language, a metaphor for a clear separation that cannot be crossed (ex: 不可逾越的鸿沟, meaning "a gulf that cannot be crossed").

Han-era wooden boat. This boat is special in that its construction has clear inspirations from the ancient Romans, another indication of the amount of information exchange that took place along the Silk Road:

A model that shows how the Great Wall was constructed in Qin dynasty. Laborers would use bamboo to construct a scaffold (bamboo scaffolding is still used in construction today btw, though it's being gradually phased out) so people and materials (stone bricks and dirt) can get up onto the wall. Then the dirt in the middle of the wall would be compressed into rammed earth, called hangtu/夯土. A layer of stone bricks may be added to the outside of the hangtu wall to protect it from the elements. This was also the method of construction for many city walls in ancient China.

A list of the schools of thought that existed during Warring States period, their most influential figures, their scholars, and their most famous works. These include Confucianism (called Ru Jia/儒家 in Chinese; usually the suffix "家" at the end denotes a school of thought, not a religion; the suffix "教" is that one that denotes a religion), Daoism/道家, Legalism (Fa Jia/法家), Mohism/墨家, etc.

The "Five Classics" (五经) in the "Four Books and Five Classics" (四书五经) associated with the Confucian tradition, they are Shijing/《诗经》 (Classic of Poetry), Yijing/《易经》 (also known as I Ching), Shangshu/《尚书》 (Classic of History), Liji/《礼记》 (Book of Rites), and Chunqiu/《春秋》 (Spring and Autumn Annals). The "Four Books" (四书) are Daxue/《大学》 (Great Learning), Zhongyong/《中庸》 (Doctrine of the Mean), Lunyu/《论语》 (Analects), and Mengzi/《孟子》 (known as Mencius).

And finally the souvenir shop! Here's a Chinese chess (xiangqi/象棋) set where the pieces are fashioned like Western chess, in that they actually look like the things they are supposed to represent, compared to traditional Chinese chess pieces where each one is just a round wooden piece with the Chinese character for the piece on top:

A blind box set of small figurines that are supposed to mimic Shang and Zhou era animal-shaped bronze vessels. Fun fact, in Shang dynasty people revered owls, and there was a female general named Fu Hao/妇好 who was buried with an owl-shaped bronze vessel, so that's why this set has three different owls (top left, top right, and middle). I got one of these owls (I love birds so yay!)

And that concludes the museums I visited while in Xi'an!

[wangxianficfinder]

I'm in the mood for...

July 23rd

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1. Hello :D

Itmf a few things

A. xy and wwx both getting adopted by the jiang clan and maybe xy helping to matchmake wangxian?

b. any wangxian fics where xy and wwx are besties

c. wangxian fics with songxuexiao as a bg ship

1A)

Growing from Mud by Aly_H (M, 147k, WIP, WangXian, XuanLi, SongXiao, SangYang, QingJue, XiCheng, Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Adoption, Injury, YunMeng Jiang XY, Canonical Character Death, Slow Burn, Major Character Injury, Angst Angst with a Happy Ending, Wrongful Imprisonment, PTSD)

1B)

Debts of a Child by Hauntcats (M, 115k, WangXian, dark, YZY Bashing, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Angst and Feels, lots of anger, JC Bashing, not Jiang friendly, Angst with a Happy Ending, Content warning for icky spiders in later chapters.) wwx and xy are adopted brother as wwx leaves the jiang clan early on

🔒Tangled Threads by merakily (T, 5k, WangXian, Modern AU, High School, Humor, Armchair Therapy, Confused XY, WWX & XY Friendship, XY just has some teenage angst he's working through, this is basically a xy+aq buddy cop dramaas they try to figure out wangxian's whole deal, XY learns how to knit)

🔒 necromancy is a valid career path! Series by coslyons, Skadiseven (T, 41k, WangXian, XY & WWX & WN & WQ, Modern with Magic AU, Seattle, Necromancy, Found Family, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Gardens & Gardening, Mathematics, Running, Growing up) foster kid vibes

[Podfic of] Tangled Threads by Merakily by AuntieIroh (T, 30-45min, WWX & XY, A-Q & XY & SL & XXC, Modern, High School, Humor, Armchair Therapy, XY gets the therapy he deserves, Confused XY, WWX & XY Friendship, XY just has some teenage angst he's working through, this is basically a xy+aq buddy cop drama, as they try to figure out wangxian's whole deal, XY learns how to knit, Song: Angry (The Rolling Stones)) therapist rather than bestie but they like each other!

1C)

🔒 live from new york by varnes (E, 87k, WangXian, JYL/JZX, snl au, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, A Family Can Just Be The Staff Of A Popular Late Night Sketch Show, Pining, Getting Together, Modern, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, and they were ROOMMATES, Frottage, Light Bondage, could not be lighter or gentler bondage) songxuexiao is very subtle but its there

Time After Time by ghosthouses (T, 4k, WangXian, SongXueXiao, High School, 80's Romance AU, Prom, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Mutual Pining, oblivious wangxian, the xuesongxiao is mostly background, fixing love triangles with polyamory, lwj in a suit)

Violet Spider's Choice by tkbenjamin (M, 62k, WangXian, XiYao, SongXueXiao, XuanLi, JFM/YZY, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Kid Fic, Yin Iron, Good Parent JFM, Good Parent YZY, JGY Redemption, XY Redemption, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, LWJ Spoils WWX, No Underage Sex, Everybody Lives, Murder gremlins)

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2. Please help, oh wonderful FicFinders! This is an ITMF request: any fic that is really harsh on Madam Yu but does NOT include Jiang Cheng bashing. Especially if she suffers some comeupance for the way she treats WWX+her kids.

🔒 If Wishes Were Donkeys by NightOwl1 (M, 101k, WIP, WangXian, SVSSS, Time Travel Fix-It, Case Fic, Mpreg, Fluff and Humor, Dysfunctional Jiāng Family, Bad Parent YZY, WangXian Get a Happy Ending,   Period-Typical Homophobia, Crossdressing, LWJ and WWX Have a Breeding Kink, It’s All The System’s Fault, Post-Canon, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Warning: JGS, Good Uncle LQR, LWJ and WWX Are LSZ’s Parents, Inappropriate Humor, Family Feels) THE YZY comeuppance fic in my opinion

🔒🧡 rain falls and soaks into the earth series by RoseThorne (T, 57k, WangXian, WIP, Near Death Experience, Attempt Drowning, Madam Yu Bashing, Recovery, No war AU)

🧡 To have and to hold by Moominmammashandbag (M, 78k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Major character injury, CQL verse, Happy Ending)

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3. Hi do you know any fic about weiying transmigrating into a novel or game or such?

So Call Me a Pessimist, but I Don’t Believe in It by Anonymous (Not Rated, 133k, WIP, WangXian, Food Issues, Family Feels, WWX is a music teacher, WN and WWX are Best Friends from the future, They use memes to talk covertly, Transmigrator WWX, transmigration au, Slow Burn)

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4. Hello! This is my second time asking im in the mood for fics for wangxian suicide squad au or joker au if there is any thank you!

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5. hi!! itmf is there any wangxian fics that has catboy wy like feline misconduct by Papriqua and vicchan @yesibest

stray cat strut by ScarlettStorm (E, 54k, WangXian, No War AU, the world's least mysterious casefic, Comedy, Shenanigans, Slow Burn, a disgusting amount of magically necessary forehead smooches, switch rights)

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6. Hi there. Can you please link me to any "*the most heavy angst* wangxian fic *with happy ending*" where wwx life is constantly in danger as he fought to leave / where wwx desperately tries to gain lwjs love risking everything.

Thankyou for all your hard work

Twin Demons of Mò by XiaoFeiFei (ArfBarkWoof) (M, 358k, MXY & WWX, wangxian, JL & MXY, XY & MXY, JGY & MXY, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Injury, Abuse, Death, Twin Demons of Mo AU, MXY Lives, Major Character Injury, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Minor Character Death, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Minor Implied/Referenced Incest, Implied/Referenced Torture, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, Canon Divergence, Self-Harm, Found Family, Sexual Abuse, Rape/Non-con Elements, POV Alternating) is /super/ heavy but ends very nicely

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7. Hello! ITMF light hearted secret relationship fics? Either canon or modern, I am just in the mood for some fluff and comedy about WangXian trying to hide their obvious interest in each other from everyone else. Thank you!

🔒 A heated Livestream. by satans_dolly_boy666 (G, 1k, WangXian, WWX & OCs, JC & WWX, WWX & NHS, Modern, livestream, gamer, Established WangXian, Possessive LWJ, Supportive LXC, Jealous LWJ, Internally screaming WWX, Internet Famous, Sugar Daddy, OK no but still-, College/University, College Student WWX, LWJ is fucking rich, Gossip, Surprises, Surprise Kissing, Secret Relationship, Idiots in Love, Dorks in Love, Showing Off, LWJ is a little shit, Identity Reveal, Relationship Reveal, Gay Panic)

After the Final Rose by azurewaxwing (E, 55k, wangxian, modern, reality show au, secret relationship, fluff & angst, happy ending, bachelor LWJ, cameraman WWX, smut)

🔒To Make Him a Perfect Bride by Hinu (E, 139k, WangXian, Modern, Feminization, Crossdressing, Marriage Proposal, Romantic Comedy, Meet the Family, Homophobia, Cultural Differences, Discrimination, Wealth kink, Potentially Unhealthy Beauty Standards, Rich LWJ, Power Bottom WWX, Sugar Daddy LWJ, Plot With Porn, Mild Kink, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Coming Out, Implied Canon-Typical Child Abuse, Phone Sex in Public, Sexual Harassment, competent wwx, Financial Domination, Sexual Roleplay, Light BDSM, WWX’s dog phobia, Submissive LWJ, Blood, Smoking, Mental Health Issues, Panic Attacks, WWX’s dissociative panic attacks in later chapters, Gay LWJ, Protective LWJ, Weddings, Wedding Planning, Secret Relationship, Genderqueer WWX, BAMF NHS, Gay WWX, LWJ and WWX Have a Breeding Kink, fem! WWX is A-Jingyi’s and A-Yuan’s sexual awakening, Office Sex, Airplane Sex, Happy Ending, Class Differences, Crazy Rich Asians Fusion)

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8. ITMF Sunshot Campaign and Burial Mounds Settlement rewrites where WWX still has his golden core? Thank you!

💖🔒 love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, YLLZ WWX, Arranged Marriage, political scheming, Gratuitous Domesticity, Mutual Pining, EXTREME SLOWBURN, the inherent eroticism of the forehead ribbon, The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known, neither wwx nor lwj want to be Perceived, but sorry kids! it’s gonna happen!, rated E but the the NSFW stuff doesn’t begin until chapter 19!, bottom LWJ in chapter 20 and 27)

Just go forward like you mean it by tawaen (M, 101k, WangXian, Canon Divergence WWX does not attend the Wen indoctrination, WWX saves Lotus Pier, Inventor WWX, No Golden Core Transfer, Sect Leader JYL, JC Has No Golden Core, Bad Parents JFM and YZY) sort of works by featuring a Wei Ying who keep his core and who helps the Wen remnants, just not in the Burial Mounds.

Cultivating immortality by KizuKatana (E, 231k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Mutual Pining, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, unreliable narrator, Found Family, First Time, novel canon relationship dynamics)

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9. Hey! I was looking for some beefy/chubby wangxian fics. Honestly, I'd love to see either of them put on some weight or at least not be just dehydrated muscle-y ppl. Somewhat similar to "the sweetest kind of victory" by stiltonbasket or "as a treat." by Mikkeneko

leave all your love and your longing behind by ScarlettStorm (E, 143k, WangXian, Modern AU, no magic, Meet-Ugly, Panic Attacks, autistic lwj, neurodivergent wwx, the neighborhood asshole dog, if you’ve met one then you know, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Minor Angst, major shenanigans, Happy Ending, for everyone including the asshole dog, Eventual Smut, switch rights, Sex Toys, horny yearning, Masturbation) WWX has suffered food insecurity in the past but now is healthily chubby which both he and LWJ appreciate

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10. ITMF Wwx going with A-yuan for the celebration of 100 days of Jin Ling.

💖 A Crying Shame by thunderwear (G, 16k, wangxian, canon divergence, fix-it, burial mounds settlement days, getting together, pining, domestic fluff, love confessions, first kiss, sharing a bed, marriage proposal)

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11. To fic finder I request your humble aid I am trying to find podfics of Wei ying and the juniors adventures together and him being a great teacher and a junior being ducklings

🔒❤️ Joy In the Midst of These Things Series by Glitterbombshell (T/G, 53k, WangXian, Angst with Happy Ending, Post-Canon, Teacher WWX, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff) Has 2 podfics available

❤️ The One-Body Problem by metisket (T, 29k, LJY & WWX, LJY & LSZ, wangxian, possession, cohabitation, The One-Body Problem by SeaNoodle, Problem jednego ciała (podfik) by tehanu, [PODFIC] The One-Body Problem by PolynomialPandemic, [PODFIC] The One-Body Problem by Gwogobo, [Podcast] Juniors just wanna have fun by jellyfishfire, kisahawklin) Seeing the reblog, it occurs to me that The One-Body Problem also sorta fits & has a couple of podfics Mainly WWX & LJY, & LSZ is also a significant character

[Podfic] Grow by jellyfishfire (T, 1-1.5H, wangxian, post-canon, de-aging, character study)

Wearing Down Every Bone [Podfic] by Rionaa (E, 2-2.5hrs, WangXian, Groundhog Day, Time Loop, Temporary Character Death, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, Case Fic, Curses, Pining, Getting Together, Time Travel, Night Hunts, Hurt wwx, Mystery, Angst with a Happy Ending, Mutual Pining, Depression and Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Podfic Chaptered, Podfic Podfic Length: 2-2.5 Hours, Podfic Length: 45-60 Minutes) This the has a certain amount of juniors + wwx

Juniors' High Nighthunt by AirgiodSLV, irrationalpie, jennisaisquoi, minnapods (minnabird), PolynomialPandemic, semperfiona_podfic (semperfiona), takopods (takonomz) (G, 2k, 10-20mins, Junior Quartet-centric, Minor WangXian, Junior Quartet Dynamics, Comedy, Podfic Length: 10-20 Minutes, Podfic Collaboration, Humor, the juniors accidentally get high on a night hunt)

these two are very much "wwx and his relationships to various juniors" but not on adventures together, but hopefully will still work:

[Podfic] A Civil Combpaign by jellyfishfire (T, 2.5-3hrs, ZhuiLing, WangXian, Marriage Proposal, Teenage Drama, Family Bonding, and the Power of Combs as a courting gift, Podfic Length: 2.5-3 Hours)

[podfic] best friends forever by jellyfishfire (T, 1-1.5 hrs, LingYi, WangXian, Arranged Marriage, Juniors shenanigans, Podfic Length: 1-1.5 Hours)

((not a podfic but) A Mother’s Love by FirefliesNLightningBugs (M, 170k, WangXian, XuanLi, Canon Divergence, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Mostly combo of the Untamed and MoDaoZuShi timelines, Unreliable Narrator, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Miscommunication, Family Feels, Found Family, PTSD, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Political Intrigue, Mystery, POV Multiple, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Strong Female Characters, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note, Good Brother In Law JZX, Genderbent WWX, Intersex WWX, not a/b/o, POV Original Character, Expanded Universe, Unplanned Pregnancy, Golden Core Reveal, WWX Has No Golden Core, Cultivation Sect Politics, Bisexual WWX, YLLZ WWX, Yunmeng Shuangjie, Pining WangXian, Parent-Child Relationship, Getting Together, Protective Yúnmèng Jiāng Sect, MXY Lives) wwx is a great teacher to junior ducklings, but it's oc Jiang juniors (tho the canon junior quartet make brief cameos as babies, cause it's a diverging au post sunshot )

[Podfic] 爱不释手; never let me go by argentumlupine (E, 6-7H, WangXian, Audio Format: Streaming, Audio Format: MP3, Case Fic, Blood and Injury, Demons, Body Horror, Mystery)

[Podfic of] To be of use by isweedan (Not Rated, 7-10H, LSZ & LWJ, Found Family, Accidental Baby Acquisition, (kinda), Father-Son Relationship, Missing Scene, Good Teacher LWJ, LSZ is an angel, LJY is the best of brats, Cloud Recesses, Seclusion Lite(TM), Everyone under 20 at Cloud Recesses worships Hanguang-jun, Fluff, Hanguang-jun is the coolest, Worldbuilding, this is not sad tho even though it's set in the time jump, the fluff-to-sads ratio is v high, Audio Format: MP3)

[Podfic] A Matter of Technicality by semperfiona_podfic (semperfiona) (T, 2-2.5hrs, JL & JC & WWX, Post-Canon, JC & WWX Reconciliation, As Helped Along By The Junior Ensemble, Feat. Fairy As A Very Good Girl, Fluff and Humor, Family Feels, Some Minor Nefarious Plotting, It's For A Good Cause Though, The Technicalities Of Transmigration, Questionable Fantasy Inheritance Law, Podfic Length: 2-2.5 Hours, Audio Format: Streaming, Audio Format: MP3, Audio Format: Download)

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12. Hey I was going thru all your wanxian recs and they are all so good and unique! I'm in the mood for a fic where Jiang Yangli and Lan wangji are betrothed, wwx just like canon becomes friends lwj and doesn't realise that he has fallen for him. He acts like he is very happy his 2 favorite people are getting married but also really sad about it not understanding why. I know its very specific but I'vent found anything even close to this concept on ao3. Hope you can help. Thank you💜 @auspiccake

Neatly Arranged by thunderwear (T, 45k, WangXian, Arranged Marriage, Angst with a Happy Ending, lwj’s mother is here but only briefly, RIP, Shenanigans, Fix-Itof sorts, Canonical Character Death, but not all, did i forget to tag pining, because this fic is like 90 percent pining, Hurt/Comfort)

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13. Hi! Hope you have a wonderful day! For the next ITMF, can I have fics where the Lan Clan is soft/lenient/have favoritism towards Wei Ying? Kinda like Cluster of Clouds by Nika_Raven_Celeste? It doesn't have to be time-traveling, can be set during their CR or Post-Canon.

Bonus points if other people can literally see the difference of treatment between wei ying and them lol

🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 828k, WangXian, WIP, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Getting Together, Supportive LQR, Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It of Sorts, Supportive LXC, Canon Divergence, Inventor WWX, Possessive LWJ, Cultivation Sect Politics, Pre-Sunshot Campaign, Fluff and Smut, Burning of the Cloud Recesses, Fall of Lotus Pier, Angst, Sunshot Campaign Not JFM Friendly, split into parts, Part 1 complete, Part 2 complete, Original Character(s)) The Lan clan loves talisman genius!WWX, & someone even notes that LQR is biased towards him

I Have Arranged to Tie You to Me by xxxMiaHikarixxx (G, 76k, WIP, WangXian, Lan protective team, Time Travel, Past, LWJ oriented, Arranged Marriage, Boys In Love, Soulmates, Fix-It, Jiang siblings, not jiang parents friendly, Soft LWJ, Protective LWJ, Genius WWX)

🔒The Second Hand Unwinds by trulywicked (E, 64k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, WIP, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Time Travel Fix-It, Not JC Friendly, Not Yunmeng Jiang Sect Friendly, Not Jiāng Family Friendly, Not YZY Friendly, Time Travelling LWJ, Protective LWJ, Fluff, Minor Angst, Minor Character Death, JGS is his own warning, Wooing, LWJ is romantic af, Inventor WWX, Genius WWX, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Protective Gusu Lan Sect, Supportive LXC, Good Uncle LQR, WWX Protection Squad)

Just Say Yes series by edenwolfie (M, 338k, wangxian, canon divergence, matchmaking, pining, cloud recesses study arc, getting together, fluff, humor, hurt/comfort, everyone lives au)

in the shadow of moonlit flowers by Reverie (cl410) (T, 56k, wangxian, LXC/NMJ, cloud recesses, NHS & LWJ friendship, developing relationship, LWJ pov, minor injuries, autistic LWJ, implied/referenced child abuse, aka YZY warning, genius WWX, light angst, hurt/comfort, WWX protection squad)

Dispersing Clouds by dreamingofcake (E, 283k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Abusive YZY, Canonical Child Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Eventual Sex, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm (Background Character), Background Character Deaths, child deaths, Canon JC, Good Uncle LQR, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Cultivation Sect Politics, Homophobia, Heteronormativity, Feelings Realization, WWX is Not Oblivious)

~*~

14. 👋🏼 Hiii

Itmf

A) Fics where Wei Ying has real siblings , they can be blood related or adopted Excluding jiang cheng and Yanli or any of the characters from the Canon. What I am looking for is OCs . And no transmigration

B) Fics where Wei Ying is blood related to the Jiangs not as son or anything but as cousin or distant relative or so . [If u can find something where the jiangs knows of this and are thus treat him nicely then plz

We Meet at the Thousandth Step by Admiranda, Rynne (T, 316k, WangXian, CSSR/WCZ, Canon Divergence, No Sunshot Campaign, CSSR & WCZ Live, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Different First Meeting, Night Hunts, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Plot, Romance, Drama, Fluff, Strangers to married, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Everyone Lives, Developing Relationship, Minor Violence, Case Fic, Mystery, Flirting, WWX's Canon-Typical Flower Flirting, Arson, There Was Only One Bed, Getting Together, First Kiss, Meeting the Parents, Resolved Sexual Tension, Resolved Romantic Tension, WWX Is a Good Big Brother, New Relationship Bliss, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Blood and Injury, Yiling siblings, Married WangXian, Honeymoon, Wangxian's Baby Fever) gives Wei Ying a sister who features heavily in later chapters

🔒Through the Storm by marhikit (T, 33k, WangXian, WX/OMC, Not JC Friendly, Canon Divergence, Not Madam Yu Friendly, Not Jiang Family Friendly, WWX gets big siblings that love and adore him, JZX ends up with someone different, No Golden Core Transfer, Creepy JGS, JZX & WWX Friendship, WWX in a different sect) gives Wei Ying an adopted brother and sister.

~*~

15. Hi! Im in the mood for a fic with animal transformation (for either Wei Wuxian or Lan Wangji)like full on turn into an animal, any animal works- cat, bunny, fox etc. and the other having to take care of them until they find out how to turn the other back into a human

the soft animal of your body by sysrae (T, 15k, WangXian, modern cultivation, Golden Core Reveal, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Animal Transformation, Shapeshifting, Getting Together, Confessions)

quarantine required by lazulisong (G, 1k, WangXian, cat fic, Animal Transformation)

Tales From Bunny Mountain by telarna (G, 5k, wangxian, JL/LSZ, JL&WWX, so many bunnies, lan buns, Tales From Bunny Mountain [Podfic] by esbielle)

🔒 and in the spring i shed my skin by wvlfqveen (T, 11k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Professors, Shapeshifter LWJ, Not Quite Necromancer WWX, Mutual Pining, WWX being an oblivious idiot, Fluff, Love Confessions, yunmeng trio, Family Feels, get JC therapy 2020, Kissing)

🔒💖 blue-ribbon bunny by cicer (G, 15k, wangxian, modern, shapeshifting, supernatural elements, fluff & humor)

in the arms of the angel by ScarlettStorm (E, 37k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Fox WWX, animal rescuer LWJ, Minor pining, major shenanigans, Comedy, Smut, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Adhd WWX, the mortifying ordeal of getting your head stuck in a peanut butter jar, and getting subsequently rescued by your crush, there were in fact two beds, but LWJ knows what he's about, Blowjobs, Frottage, switch rights, Scent Kink, mildly telepathic sex, courtship via kittens)

Playing Possum by DizziDreams (T, 1k, WangXian, Modern AU, Crack, animal shifter wwx, sometimes meeting the love of your life looks like a naked man playing dead in your laundry room) should work but the human caring for the animal doesn't realize the animal has shifted from human in these.

Kitty-cat by canis_lupus (E, 98k, WangXian, WIP, Cat WWX, Modern with Magic, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, dom LWJ, Sub WWX, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Jiang Family Dynamics, Abusive Jiang Family, POV Multiple, WWX Has ADHD, Autistic LWJ, Masturbation)

~*~

16. Hello, itmf works where:

A) No sunshot campaign.

B) -Wei Ying reaches immortality young

Or

-Wei Ying loses/fractures his core due to Zidian

In both cases he tries to hide it

Thank you !

A) A Life Without Regrets by naqaashi (M, 74k, wangxian, JFM & WWX, JC & WWX, WRH & WWX, LXC & LWJ, LQR & LWJ, LWJ & NHS, Canon Divergence, Time Travel Fix-It, Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Crack Treated Seriously, musical cultivation, Slow Burn, Pining, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Murder Husbands, PTSD, BAMF WWX, Demonic Cultivation, POV WWX, Cultivation Sect Politics, Worldbuilding, No Yīn Iron, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Artist WWX, Musician WWX, Night Hunts, Fate & Destiny, Bad Parent JFM & YZY, Golden Core, Cultivation Theory, Sentient Burial Mounds, Father-Son Relationship, Dysfunctional Family, Grief/Mourning, Parent-Child Relationship, Angry WWX, Pining WWX, WWX is Not Okay, No Golden Core Transfer, BAMF LWJ, Pining LWJ, POV LWJ, Angry LWJ, One-Braincell Wangxian, Love Confessions, Idiots in Love, WIP) I apologize for not quite understanding what they're requesting but if they're looking for both no war AND Wei Ying becoming immortal at a young age, then I recommend A Life Without Regrets

B) 💖🔒love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, YLLZ WWX, Arranged Marriage, political scheming, Gratuitous Domesticity, Mutual Pining, EXTREME SLOWBURN, the inherent eroticism of the forehead ribbon, The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known, neither wwx nor lwj want to be Perceived, but sorry kids! it’s gonna happen!, rated E but the the NSFW stuff doesn’t begin until chapter 19!, bottom LWJ in chapter 20 and 27) (link in #8) If they're looking for either A or B, I'd suggest love, in fire and blood for B. Sorry again for my confusion!

~*~

17. Itmf some pwp fem!wangxian

give me one good honest kiss by occultings (microcomets) (E, 25k, Female wangxian, Rule 63, Femslash, Cisswap, Practice Kissing, Pining while fucking, Angst with a Happy Ending, Sleepovers, Misunderstandings, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Compulsory Heterosexuality, Cunnilingus, Vaginal Fingering, Strap-Ons, Semi-Public Sex, Lesbian Sex, lwj's canonical tantrum biting, the inherent homooticism of high school orchestra, the emotional catharsis of lesbians beating the shit out of straight men, College/University)

good friends by plonk (Not Rated, 11k, Female WangXian, WangXianJue, Modern AU, Gender Changes, A/B/O Dynamics)

Happy for Now by ScarlettStorm (E, 79k, Female WangXian, Rule 63, Femslash, Cisswap, Practice Kissing, Pining while fucking, Angst with a Happy Ending, Sleepovers, Misunderstandings, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Compulsory Heterosexuality, Cunnilingus, Vaginal Fingering, Strap-Ons, Semi-Public Sex, Lesbian Sex, lwj's canonical tantrum biting, the inherent homoeroticism of high school orchestra, the emotional catharsis of lesbians beating the shit out of straight men, College/University)

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[cafeeeeeeeeee3]

Update!! :D

I painted Nightmare(uncorrupted) clothes. Last time, the colour ended up pretty gray, and it wasn't fun at all! That was because I do not have purple (and if I did have, it'd likely be some clowny vibrant purple, which I do love, but would not do my boy justice), so I have to mix it in; as it turns out, when using guache, you might find yourself having a better time w/ pink and blue rather than red/blue.

I am also running out of white, because every colour seems to end up becoming darker when I want it to be lighter. Why does dark blue/pink and light blue/pink end in the same colour? Send help.

I also added the window in. I am not very happy with it, but I might try to make it look better tomorrow. Give it some white splotches so that it looks more glass-y, and reflects the moon better.

All in all, I'd also like to add how ironic everything here is.

From putting Nightmare(uncorrupted and hanged) in the top of the painting, when the top of anything is usually reserved to authority to putting Nightmare(corrupted) in a spot which, when you read as most people do in the west, indicates the past. The way he's slouched like a f🌜cking animal, too. Barely dressed.

There's no point to be made. I just wanted to be weird.

I also really don't like the choice of making Nightmare sit on a square chair. He deserves a triangle, to oppose the circle of the window. I might change this later.

I'm not proud of this at the moment, but I also am. It's the third time I actually use guaxe in over a decade.

I do not have enough guache to paint in the background, too. Nor the patience. But it feels heinous to keep it white.

Did I mention my eraser is black? It's smudging everything. The circle is also ovalled. It irks me.

I also drew in Nightmare's goop.

I'm afraid of drawing in the rope. It feels heinous to think about where to put it, so I'm afraid it'll look bad.

Anyways, Nightmare has a skeleton in his closet. It's not a literal closet, but it is a literal skeleton (should I crack his skull in tomorrow?)

[13a07s]

Spoiled #1

(Shoyo Hinata)

[Artwork is not mine! Credit to oretsuu]

Requested by: Idfk... Jack Frost, maybe?

Word Count: 4,096

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:

Name Calling: Baby Doll, Brat

Rich Girl/Poor Boy Trope

Part Two to Come

I feel like I wrote Hinata so out of character but idk if I actually did or if it's just self-doubt so beware

———————————————————————

My brother's voice wraps around the gym, easily leaking out the creaked doors I'm heading towards to paint the hallway in his words as well. "In moments of temptation, you should consider not what you may be offered, but instead what you may lose," Wakatoshi babbles, making me shake my head.

He has a habit of talking in some old-fashioned curtsey way, his words usually coming out in tongues when he's talking about something he's passionate about. Most of the time it means he's talking about volleyball, or occasionally, Tendo.

"The man that gives into temptation will lose his focus, his obedience, and because of that, shall lose the trust his team places on him. Perhaps he may not lose that trust, but that is worse than the former." Wakatoshi's arms are in front of him, sitting in the air like a preacher giving a sermon.

Three boys from the team visiting our school for a practice match are standing in front of him. The mean mugged, buzzed-cut boy looks like he's in Lala land, staring off to Wakatoshi's side, watching Tendo wrap his fingers. The boy with spiked hair and a blonde streak looks amazed at my brother, barely holding back his laughter. The last boy, with flames for hair, is looking up, listening but very confused about the lecture he's getting.

I slowly slide into the gym, making sure to be quiet as I slip in and start walking across the room. Wakatoshi's voice becomes background noise as I hyper-focus on being silent. Despite my chance at anonymity, Tendo spots me, one of his eyebrows shooting up as a smile crawls onto his face. I throw a finger against my lips, silently shushing him, a command he obeys.

Blonde Streak catches wind of me too, poking his head around Wakatoshi to see what has the Guess Monster grinning. When he catches sight of me, his eyes start to flicker around, making a sharp triangle as they jerk between me, my brother, and my brother's best friend.

When I'm two or three feet away, I settle into the spot I'm holding, bending my knees to prepare for a swift takedown. My body buzzes in anticipation, excited for this to finally be the time I manage to scare Wakatoshi. "I got you!" I shriek, lunging forward. I wrap my arms around his waist, slamming my whole body weight into his back.

He inches forward, taking a small step to balance himself. Attempt two hundred and fifty-three: Failure. Mission 'Scare Wakatoshi': Slowly growing into a dying cause.

"Hello, Baby Doll," Wakatoshi greets, his voice still even but lacking the lecturing tone he was using a few moments again. His hand latches onto my wrist, yanking on me until I'm standing in front of him instead of clinging to his back. "Did you harm yourself?" I'm asked as he pats me down, searching for any possible injuries.

"No, I'm fine."

Wakatoshi's hands settle under my arms, taking an iron grip on me before I'm lifted off the floor and dangled in the air. He holds me high enough that we're at eye level with each other. "It is dangerous for you to keep doing things such as that. Imagine if I had not known it was you. You could have been hurt. Or worse, I could have made you cry. Do not do such a thing again, alright?"

     "I'm going to do it again," I answer honestly, getting a long, disapproving sigh from my brother.

     He carefully sets me back on my feet before fixating on my uniform. Wakatoshi straightens my bow tie, toying with the loops of it before his next victim becomes my skirt. He gently smoothes it out, picking off a few stray things of lint left over from cleaning the classrooms. When he's satisfied, he focuses on my jacket, fuzzing with the buttons and making sure the lines of it are crisp. "Your shirt is wrinkled," he points out, now obsessing with my dress shirt. "And half untucked. Come here let me tuck it in for you."

     "No," I mutter, pulling away from him, and shifting closer to his friend. "Classes are done for the week so it doesn't have to be picture perfect anymore," I point out, shrugging off my jacket and hanging it on Tendo's arm that's waiting, bent and hanging to take it from me.

     "You look ridiculous in an untidy uniform. Let me fix it," Wakatoshi grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyebrows push together as I loosen my bow tie, letting it hang further down my neck. "Wearing your uniform in such a way makes you look mindless."

     "Oh well," I murmur, shaking my hair loose from the updo it's been in all day. "Hey, 'Toshi?" I whisper, spraying a sheepish smile on my face and tipping my head to the side.

     "No," he answers before I can even get the question out. His posture tights up too, like it'll help him stay headstrong about denying whatever I'm going to ask.

     "Some of the girls are thinking about going out this weekend," I tell him anyway, softening my eyes so they'll blow out and become rounder. I blink them slower too, making sure my lashes look more dramatic. "I was wondering if I could go with, please?"

     "I have a practice game on Sunday and a meeting with a scout tomorrow. I cannot escort you. No."

     My smile melts off my face, a pout quickly replacing it. For extra effect, I will some crocodile tears, just enough to make my eyes glossy. "Pretty please? I don't even need an escort. Even if you are set on me having one, I'm sure Tendo wouldn't mind escorting me on Saturday, right, Chibi-Chan?" I ask, turning my fit toward him.

     Tendo's eyes are glued to the floor, suddenly super aware of his sneakers. Out of the two older boys, he cracks the easiest, hence the lack of attention on me. "Ushijima said no, the answer is no," he whispers, sparing a glance at me before he jerks his head up, turning to watch the first years struggling to put up the net.

     I blink a few times, egging the fake tears to spill down my cheeks. My half-assed crying pulls a sigh from Wakatoshi, his hand burying itself in his jacket pocket. He tugs out his wallet, snapping it open and pulling out the stack of cash he has. "Here's eighty thousand yen," he mutters, tucking the smaller stash of cash away. "Tendo will be going with you and you will be back by nine, am I understand? I'm not talking to the Principal to get you out of trouble again because you ignored curfew."

     "We'll be home by nine." Wakatoshi looks down at me for another beat before rolling the wad of money my way. I happily take it, digging through the pocket of my jacket to add the bundle to the cash in it.

     Papa sends each of us twenty thousand yen every week as an allowance to get what we need for school and food and such, but he says we can use what's left over to do whatever. Dad wires money from the States every month too, usually about seventy-five hundred yen. Wakatoshi tends to have more cash than I do, partly because he's smarter with his money but also because of all those articles and such he does because of volleyball.

     What's the point of being stingy with my money if I know I'm inheriting Papa's fortune? When Papa finally steps down, Wakatoshi's volleyball career will be out of its prime and he'll take over the business. My brother gets the company and the means to make his own fortune, so Papa is giving me his fortune, swearing he won't step down until he's certain he's made enough that I'll never have to lift a finger in my life.

     "Spoiled Brat," Tendo mutters, slinging my jacket over his shoulder when I'm done stashing my money away. His hand settles on top of my head, gently squeezing it as he shakes me around. "I'll see you Saturday. Now, run along and go do something other than be cramped up in this musky gym."

     "Alright," I giggle, jumping up on my tippy toes to plop a kiss on his cheek. I make sure to take my jacket from him before turning away, switching my attention to Wakatoshi. His hand settles on the small of my back, pushing me towards the gym doors with the plan to walk me out. I swear it's criminal how easy I can play him.

———————————

I have no clue why I'm getting lectured. I know why Tanaka and Noya are getting lectured; because they were hitting on Shiratorizawa's manager, but I wasn't. I just happened to be standing next to them. Maybe this is the whole 'guilty by association' thing Daichi was telling me about.

"In moments of temptation, you should consider not what you may be offered, but instead what you may lose," Ushijima continues to lecture, making no sense. What does temptation have to do with a pretty girl? "The man that gives into temptation will lose his focus, his obedience, and because of that, shall lose the trust his team places on him. Perhaps he may not lose that trust, but that is worse than the former."

That makes some sense, but somehow even less sense. Girls are distracting, especially really pretty ones, but his manager wasn't going to distract me from our practice game. Is he lecturing us about girlfriends? That's what this is about, right? Where's Tsuki when I need him? He'd tell me why I was being yelled at.

     I glance to the side, trying to figure out how my teammates feel about the lecture. Tanaka is distracted, looking over the Monster blocker's shoulder to continue ogling over the manager. Noya looks like he's going to laugh, his eyes constantly moving back and forth. What's funny about getting yelled at? We're visitors. We should be trying our best to be respectful.

     With them being no help, I decided to look back up at Ushijima, trying to piece together what he was trying to say. I'm pretty sure he's saying trying to get a girlfriend will distract us from volleyball... I think.

     "I got you!" A soft voice cuts through Ushijima's, ending our lecture.

     The ace stumbles forward, his hand falling down to press against the hands resting on his stomach. They look small, the hands under Ushijima's, and carefully cared for, reminding me of porcelain. The intruder's skin is smooth like they've never been tarnished or exposed to the harmful lick of sunlight.

The person's nails are as carefully cared for as their skin. Long and carefully manicured, perfectly sporting the plaid purple of Shiratorizawa. Three rings decorate their fingers. The two on the right are simple silver circles of metal encasing their pointer and ring fingers. The one on the left, circling their middle finger, isn't as simple. It's shaped with inspiration from vines, wrapped around their delicate skin and the gems alike. Eight purple rocks are stamped into the jewelry, reminding me of roses among thorns.

     It feels too expansive to even breathe with so much beauty and money wafting off such a small section of the intruder. I'm not dumb... I'm not that dumb. I know Shiratorizawa is a school packed with rich kids. I know Ushijima and the rest of the team were going against mainly come from families with money, but I've never really seen it aside from the school grounds.

"Hello, Baby Doll," Ushijima murmurs, his tone notability softer. His shoulders relax like a weight was taken off with the presence of the person holding onto him.

     I glance at my teammates, trying to see how they're taking the sudden lack of tension that he always carries himself in. Tanaka is still busy looking over the manager, but Noya's focus is on the same thing mine is. His eyes shine and his head is titled in the usual way it is when he spots a girl that sparks his interest. I'll safely assume the intruder is a she then.

Ushijima's movements are careful like he's suddenly aware of his size. My assumptions were right, it is a girl. A girl the ace is carefully clinging to as he guides her around himself. "Did you harm yourself?" The words come out so soft I'm convinced I made them up. The squishing of my competitor's eyebrows - the only hint of emotion he's ever shown to me - telling me otherwise. Well, aside from careful hands patting the girl down, in search of injuries along her ribs.

The rest of her breezes expensive just as much as her hands do. Her hair is up, twisted, and curled in a way that would make YouTube Hair Tutorial artists envious, held in place by a hair clip. A hair clip fashioned in the shape of four small white flowers enveloped by pastel greens. It glints under the gym lights, almost like it's made out of glass. Maybe it is made out of glass. Either way, I'm sure the accessory alone costs more than my volleyball shoes.

     Splashes of purple, blue, and white are wrapped around her, looking like the least expensive thing but still somehow seeming worth more than a simple school uniform. Her floral scent seems to fill the whole gym and has settled on my chest, my lungs almost feeling flower pedals rubbing against them with every breath.

     "No, I'm fine," she answers, her voice sounding like the bells of heaven. I get why Ushijima called her baby doll. She looks like one, everything so perfect, even her imperfect dress shirt spilling out over her skirt. It's all just too... too... too meant to be. Like the universe adjusts just for her.

     The personally caused reminder of Ushijima calling her baby doll weighs on my chest, quickly burning up her floral scent and leaving behind ash to fill my senses. When his hands slide up and cup under her arms, the fire is quickly frosted over by ice. She looks even more perfect elevated in the air, raised so the taller boy can look straight into her eyes. Like this, she looks like an angel, her wings simply hidden underneath the material of her jacket.

     "It is dangerous for you to keep doing things such as that. Imagine if I had not known it was you. You could have been hurt. Or worse, I could have made you cry. Do not do such a thing again, alright?"

     The icy grip of jealousy is quickly melted away with the flames of anger again. How dare Ushijima lecture such a perfect being? Especially over something as simple as grabbing at him. Doesn't he see how her touch is made of gold? How lucky he is to have someone so beautiful, so perfect, so luxurious willingly touch him? How could he possibly think of her crying? I bet she still looks like perfect porcelain when she cries. I bet her tears are made from diamonds.

     My anger is smothered and some of my jealousy dies down when Ushijima places the girl back on her feet. My eyes fall, taking a glance at her shoes. They're the new black and gold Jordans that dropped last month. They're spotless and crisp still like she just took them out of the box this morning. Considering the energy wrapped around her, that scenario is hard to believe. I'm sure she had them preordered and delivered before their official drop.

     Ushijima starts fussing over the girl's uniform, tugging on the purple bow tie wrapped around her neck, making her look like a present. I wonder what it would be like, unwrapping her like a present.

     My sense quickly comes crashing down, embarrassment for my silent thoughts caressing my neck. I bet that's what Ushijima was talking about when he was rattling on about temptation. I was tempted by this shiny rich girl and instantly through my morals to the wind. That's not any way to think of a lady, much less a lady I know nothing about.

     "Your shirt is wrinkled," Ushijima grumbles, rambling up another lecture and successfully grounding me back to Earth. Still, embarrassment, a bit of guilt, and a cup of disgust with myself eat at my stomach. "And half untucked. Come here, let me tuck it in for you."

      A bit of annoyance flickers across her face as she pulls away from Ushijima, leaning more toward the middle blocker who seems terribly aware of her. "No," she hums, her arms and shoulders flexing in tune with her sliding off her jacket. "Classes are done for the week so it doesn't have to be picture-perfect anymore." Tendo jumps at the chance to play coat hanger, letting the girl hang her jacket on his arm.

     The longer the two of them peer down at her, Ushijima's face softer than normal and Tendo grinning from ear to ear, the harder I picture their downfall on the volleyball court. Why do they get to enjoy her beauty? Her sing-song voice? The soft way she flows like a river sliding down a mountain? Because they go to an expensive school? Because they're 'better' players? No, they're not, and I'm going to prove it.

"You look ridiculous in an untidy uniform. Let me fix it." The girl rebels, loosening the bow around her neck and letting it hang loose, which only seems to irritate Ushijima more. "Wearing your uniform in such a way makes you look mindless."

Her hands bury into her hair, pulling pins from seemingly nowhere before unclipping the clasp from her hair, all of which Tendo happily takes from her and stuffs away in his jacket. She doesn't even seem to notice the blocker's silent and blind obedience.

"Oh well," the girl finally responds, shaking her hair before letting it waterfall down her back. I wonder what it would feel like, running my fingers through her shiny locks. I bet it's soft. It looks soft, like her hands. I wonder if it has the same floral scent as -

"Hey, 'Toshi?"

- who the hell is 'Toshi' and why did she say his name like that?

"No," Ushijima grumbles, answering one of my questions. Jealousy bubbles in my chest again, fueled by the stone stare he looks down at her with and the doe eye, soft smile combo she returns to him. At the moment they remind me of a rock and a feather, complete opposites but somehow being a pair. It's not fair.

"Some of the girls are thinking about going out this weekend. I was wondering if I could go with, please?" She asks, tone hesitant like she expects a harder no in return.

"I have a practice game on Sunday and a meeting with a scout tomorrow. I cannot escort you. No," He repeats, hardening his eyes as he peers down at her. She doesn't need an escort. Look at her, she's a young adult more the capable of going out with her friends by herself. If she needs an escort that bad, I'll very happily escort her. Just hand her over already Ushijima.

"Pretty please? I don't even need an escort. Even if you are set on me having one, I'm sure Tendo wouldn't mind escorting me on Saturday, right, Chibi-Chan?" she rambles, tears in her eyes, shimmering like diamonds just like I guessed. She looks as beautiful upset as she does happy.

Tendo's face tightens as he looks between his two classmates, uncertainty and reluctance mixing in his expression before he decides to look at the ground. "Ushijima said no, the answer is no," he whispers, choosing to side with his captain.

Anger flickers across her face, quickly chased away by tears spilling over to coat her cheeks. She's fake crying, completely faking it. A bit of a snicker settles on my face as I watch the two of them slowly fall apart at the tantrum she's throwing. They don't believe this is real, no way... right?

Ushijima caves, a lot quicker than I thought imaginable. Within seconds of the center of his attention shedding her alligator tears, his wallet is out and enough cash to cover mom's mortgage, and then some is being counted out. "Here's eighty thousand yen. Tendo will be going with you and you will be back by nine, am I understand? I'm not talking to the Principal to get you out of trouble again because you ignored curfew."

Instantly, the water workers are put away. The girl snatches the money, her teeth shining in a smile and eyes sparkling as she looks up at her school's ace. "We'll be home by nine," she agrees, stuffing the money into her wallet like it's normal Friday and not like she was just handed enough money to cover my grocery bill for the next two months like it was chum change.

"Hey," Noya whispers, shoving his elbow into my side. "Your jaw is on the floor. You might want to pick it up," he teases, softly laughing at my shock.

"That...That's... that's half my mom's mortgage."

Noya shakes his head, his eyes glued to the angel of money, apparently, as she gets dotted on by Tendo. "Well, when you're the granddaughter of the CEO of Ushijima Incorporated, I'm sure you get used to being handed a paycheck worth of money simply for batting your eyelashes."

"Ushijima Incorporated?" I ask, trying to bite down the jealousy forming as I watch Tendo play with her hair. Anger muddies my jealousy when he calls her a 'spoiled brat'.

     "The king company of the volleyball world?" Tanka butts in, looking at me like I'm stupid. "They make literally everything we use. The volleyballs, our jerseys, the nets, they own like fifty percent of the volleyball shoe companies. They sponsor almost every Japan official team. Ringing any bells?"

     "No," I whisper, turning my attention back to Miss Queen of Volleyball. "Wait..." I slowly say, watching her kiss Tendo's cheek. "She's a Ushijima?"

     "Ya," they both say slowly, their amusement only growing with the more lack of knowledge I show.

     "So..."

So, Ushijima isn't into her or with her or anything. They're just siblings. That also explains her brother's tenseness about volleyball. No wonder he tries so hard to be the best.

"Do you feel stupid yet?" Tanka asks, looking at me rather wickedly.

"Why would I feel stupid?"

     "Because you've been drooling since she's shown up."

     "I have not," I mutter, my eyes trailing after the Volleyball Queen, watching as her brother walks her to the door. His hand on her back still tickles my jealousy, just not as bad as before. "I just think she's... interesting."

     "And way out of your tax bracket, bud," Tendo cuts in, chuckling when my embarrassment coats my cheeks. I totally forgot he was here. "Trust me, it's impossible to keep up with the bankroll her dear 'Papa' offers her."

     "You must be doing something right. She seems pretty attached to you," I point out, sending out a feel for what exactly Tendo's relationship is with her.

     My statement must not have been as subtle as a thought. The corners of his mouth turn up, drenching my spine with ice water. "Money doesn't speak to Papa Ushi'. He couldn't care less if you had a hundred thousand yen or one yen in your bank account. Make the Apple of his eye cry and he'll bury you alive and then piss on your grave. Make her laugh and he'll pay your tuition." From the look in Tendo's eyes, I'm guessing he's speaking from experience.

"That's all I have to do? Make her laugh?"

Tendo cackles, the sound scrapping against the gym walls. "No, kid. Grandma Cunt-tress and Mommy Dearest aren't so easy to win over. Lucky for you, the Spoiled Brat doesn't care about their opinions. She does care about Ushi's though. If he doesn't like you, you might as well be dead when the Brat is concerned."

     "How do I get Ushijima to like me?"

     "Be good at volleyball. Step one of that is stop receiving with your face," Tendo mocks me, his hand waving in front of his face as he walks away from me.

     Alright, I can handle this. Step one, make her laugh. Step two, make her brother like me. Step two, point a, don't take any receives to my face during our practice match. Easy peasy... hopefully.

———————————————————————

[mantra-repeated]

Hello! here is a attraction coining idea:

Sanguiaric: Based off bloodlust and primal instincts, where desire is associated with the thrill of danger and the scent of iron. The lover experiences a visceral hunger that cannot be satisfied or satiated, thus being driven by the primal urge to possess and "consume" their beloved. They may feel the need to tear into the depths of the S/O's heart, in a metaphorical sense, to feel and touch every part of them, as if to celebrate "owning" the love interest like a trophy.

is this alright?

I normally don't really take requests, but since this was basically coined for me in a way I will make an exception in this case. So I guess it is alright lol. Sorry for taking so damn long, oops.

Sanguiaric

Pt: Sanguiaric :End Pt

See above for definition.

Symbology of the flag

Pt: Symbology of the flag :End Pt

A lot of the symbology is born from several "Key" concepts I personally noted. Grey meant to be iron, the reds of blood, flesh, meat, and the heart. The jagged stripes like teeth, and thus like consumption. The curving red lines like clawing and "opening up" the body. The blues like the stereotypical blue veins of the heart. The yellow triangle like a danger sign, but could also be like a "tag" that one puts on the collar of a pet and thus "owning" them. Hopefully this flag works for you anon.

Mentions/Tagging: @radiomogai, @orientation-archive, @aspectsofidentity

Banner transcript: This term was made by an Endogenic. Anyone can use it however :End transcript

[Red lizard divider Id: A divider made of two red lines with a red lizard from Rain World in the gap between them. Each line has a diamond on the outer edge and a crescent moon on the inner edge, framing the lizard :End id]

[Sanguiaric flag Id: A complex flag varying in shapes and sizes. In the background of the flag consists of a large stripe, small stripe, triangles protruding downwards on top of a medium stripe, triangles protruding upwards on the same medium stripe, a small stripe, and a large stripe. The colors from up to down are navy blue, baby blue, crimson red, gray, crimson red, baby blue, and navy blue. On top of the background is a larger yellow triangle, where 4 red curvy lines swoop from the top to the bottom. On top of the everything are triangles on top and on the bottom of the flag that are outlined twice. The triangles are crimson red, where the first outline is desaturated red, and the second outline is light desaturated red. :End Id]

[Carmel lizard dividers id: A divider made of two bronze lines with a Carmel lizard from Rain World in the gap between them. Each line has a diamond on the outer edge and a crescent moon on the inner edge, framing the lizard. : End Id]

[Banner image id: a rectangular banner with rounded corners on a transparent background. in the background of the banner is the endogenic flag by greyskies, and it has a transparent inset border. in the center is black text that reads "This term was made by an endogenic. Anyone can use it however.". In the bottom right corner is a blue lizard from the game rain world. :End Id]

[Pink lizard divider Id: A divider made of two pink lines with rain world graffiti of a pink lizard head in the gap between them. Each line has a outline of diamond on the outer edge and a outline of a crescent moon on the inner edge, framing the lizard head. :End Id]

[dafukdidiwatch]

Since we are still blogging, sure! I'll give it a go on why this series is fantastic

TL;DR: Monster Men and Monster Fucking, Clever and Zany world building and science doing, heartfelt natural romance, multiple complex antagonists, and it's Just Really Funny

First, Jaegars exist. They are all cheerful and happy-go-lucky monster men that murder with a smile and passion. They are also silly, loyal, and really funny to read as the comedic minions vs their stoic bosses. They are wild, rambunctious, and will die in the line of fire because it is their duty and they love violence.

I am listing out Jaegers first because they were the Only reason I continued reading this comic and I have no regrets

Second, fantastic world building and science shennanigans. We live in a world where mad scientist geniusus are the norm. And anyone that has mad genius level intelligence are called Sparks. And they all have the weirdest and narrow niches to just explode their sciences on. So you have Idiot Savants all around with wacky Dr. Seuss Machines just trying to defend, kill, or do random shit as they see fit. Like I am reading currently Mad Scientist Woman obsessed with Rats. Her pets and children. She made them giant and poison resistant. She taught them to do a play. She loves them like children. Another crazy spark guy is just obsessed with pies and making pie throwing machines and mood changing pie recipes. No containing the madness!

Third, an Actual Legitimate Romance. I started reading this comic before I got into my dumb-but-no-really romance book genres. So I was really apprehensive about reading romance in comics, especially with the love triangle angles of it or multiple leads. So I just wasn't sure. But here, we see our lead Agatha slowly turn from an unsure clumsy assistant into a science wielding powerhouse that doesn't put up with shit. And during that, because of that, we see the slow burn build up of why and how she fell in love with Gil and Tarvek, and how they became friends/lovers/rivals. How they all care for each other even while trying to be science and the art just shows it well

Fourth, multi-layered antagonists. You think we have a Big Bad? Yeah we do, but we actually have two. Barron Klaus Von Wolfenbach who is ruling with an iron first trying to maintain the peace and is effectively an antagonist who is against our main character Agatha because her legacy and heritage threatens the stability he established. He is not a villain, but 100% an antagonist who is willing to do ANYTHING to keep the world safe.

Not forgetting our gals here, Lucrezia Moonfish. She is the defacto Big Bad. World Domination. Trying to take over earth and dimensions and possible space wherever the hell she's currently at. She is ruthless, evil, sciencey, does what she wants when she wants. She is trying to sacrifice her daughter to herself to bring herself power that's how terrible she is. We love to see a woman villain taking charge because she can.

Also did I say that her and Klaus fucked? Because they totally fucked.

Finally, this comic is just really funny. Like, just Truly Really Funny. Lots one one line jokes. Lots of running gags. Lots of physical comedic, dark humor, sight gags, deadpan humor, background jokes. Anything and everything is fair game. And it's legitimately funny. When you laugh you actually laugh. It really is a breath of fresh air to see my favorites just be funny in any scenario.

God there's so much more I want to go off on, because trust me, I was there, I had to get a nudge to put my foot in the door on this comic. But it is worth it trust me.

[winters8child]

It´s been a long, long time

Chapter 55

I was sprinting through the dense, snowy woods, each step crunching through the icy blanket beneath me. Explosions and gunshots echoed around me, a relentless cacophony of chaos. Our team, a motley crew of heroes, had banded together, pushing through enemy lines toward the Hydra Research Base, the elusive Loki's Scepter our objective.

Above me, Tony streaked through the air, his gleaming red suit a stark contrast against the wintry sky, dispatching foes with precision. "Shit," he yelled, his voice crackling through the comms. Steve, ever the paragon of virtue, immediately quipped, "Language," his tone exasperated but familiar, drawing a chuckle from my lips despite the tension.

"Jarvis, what's the view from upstairs?" Steve asked, his motorbike roaring in the background of the transmission. Jarvis's voice, cool and efficient, responded, "The central building is protected by an energy shield. Strucker's technology is far more advanced than any other Hydra base we've encountered."

Out of nowhere, Thor descended with a thunderous crash, his landing sending a shockwave through the ranks of Hydra soldiers. He struck with unyielding force, each blow incapacitating those foolish enough to challenge him.

"Loki's scepter must be here. Strucker could not mount this defense without it. At long last," he declared, his voice a mix of determination and excitement as he effortlessly felled more guards, his strength and skill on full display.

I was pretty busy myself, surrounded by three guards, each armed with semi-automatic rifles, their eyes gleaming with confidence. They moved in a loose triangle formation, their steps deliberate and predatory. The leader, a burly figure with a scar running down his cheek, smirked. "Give it up, lady. You're outnumbered and outgunned."

My eyes flicked from one man to the next, calculating. My mind was a whirlwind of possibilities, strategies, and outcomes. I couldn’t afford to make a single mistake.

With a sudden, fluid motion, I dropped to one knee, my body a blur. The first man caught off guard and hesitated for a split second too long. That was all I needed. I fired a single, precise shot, the bullet finding its mark between his eyes. He crumpled to the ground, his rifle clattering uselessly beside him.

The other two men reacted instantly, their rifles coming up to aim at me. But I was already moving. I rolled to the side, my movements graceful and controlled. Another shot rang out, hitting the second man in the chest. He stumbled, shock etched on his face, before collapsing.

The leader, now alone, snarled and fired a burst of bullets. I ducked behind a rusted metal crate, the bullets sparking off its surface. My breathing was still steady, my focus razor-sharp. I waited for a brief pause in his firing, then sprang up, my handgun aimed with deadly precision.

The leader barely had time to react. My shot was flawless, the bullet striking his shoulder and causing him to drop his rifle with a howl of pain. I advanced swiftly, my eyes cold and unyielding. With a final, calculated shot to his head, he went down, writhing in agony.

"At long last" is lasting a little long, boys," Natasha's voice crackled through the comms, punctuated by the thuds and groans of the enemies she dispatched. "Yeah. I think we lost the element of surprise," Clint replied, releasing arrow after arrow with deadly precision.

"Wait a second. No one else is gonna deal with the fact that Cap just said 'Language'?" Tony's voice cut in, dripping with sarcasm.

Steve sounded exasperated, his voice weary from Tony's relentless teasing. "I know," he replied, the frustration clear in his tone, which only made the exchange more amusing. "It just slipped out," he added with a sigh, resigning himself to the inevitable ribbing.

When Strucker attacked the city, Tony quickly deployed his Iron Legion to evacuate the citizens. I stood amidst the trees, the silence around me almost surreal when suddenly, a blinding flash from my left struck me square in the chest. I went down with a grunt, a sharp "Fuck," escaping my lips. Wincing, I muttered, "Yeah, I know, language."

“Was that a human?” I asked over the comms, my voice tinged with disbelief. The impact had been incredibly swift, yet it packed a punch, judging by how it hit me with full force.

“We’ve got an enhanced on the field,” Steve’s voice crackled over the comms, carrying a hint of urgency as if he had faced the same overwhelming force.

“Clint’s hit,” Natasha’s voice came through, laced with clear concern. “Is anyone going to handle that bunker?” she added quickly, her tone urgent.

Hulk’s roar reverberated through the forest, causing the enemy to recoil in fear at the sight of the massive green giant.

I dashed to the clearing and crouched beside Clint and Natasha. “Let me check him over,” I said, my experience as a nurse kicking in. I pulled bandages from my thigh bag and pressed them firmly against Clint’s wounds. “You’re going to be fine, Clint. Just hang in there,” I reassured him, trying to infuse my voice with calm.

Natasha gave me a grateful smile and clasped Clint’s hand, offering him support and strength as he grimaced in pain. The fortress’s shields deactivated with a buzzing hum, finally granting us access to the scepter.

“Clint’s hit pretty bad, guys. We’re going to need an evac,” Natasha’s voice crackled over the comms, her worry palpable even through the static.

“We’ll handle the rest,” Steve responded, his voice steady and reassuring. “Thor is heading your way to help out. See you soon.”

Fifteen minutes later, we were all back aboard the Quinjet, the scepter securely housed in its case. I was focused on setting up an IV for Clint, but there was not much I could do on the field. He would have to see a specialist when we landed. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Natasha engaged in a conversation with Bruce. She was the only one who seemed able to soothe the Hulk’s agitation.

I nudged Steve, drawing his attention to the scene. With a raised eyebrow, I subtly pointed out Natasha’s obvious flirtatious glances towards Bruce. Steve caught on and a knowing smile tugged at his lips.

"Thor, report on the Hulk.", Nat called out, as he looked at her, his face etched with a mix of worry and insecurity. “The gates of Hel are filled with the screams of his victims,” Thor declared with an air of pride. Bruce’s head drooped in embarrassment, while Natasha shot Thor a look of clear irritation. It was evident that this was not the response she had hoped for.

Thor quickly caught on and tried to backtrack. “But not the screams of the dead, of course. No, no, it’s mostly the wounded—whimpering, a lot of complaining, and tales of sprained deltoids and gout,” he mumbled, his voice trailing off as he realized the absurdity of his words.

“Gout?” I mouthed to Steve, who barely managed to conceal his grin as he shrugged in response. It was a relief to have the Scepter back in our possession, and with Dr. Cho flown in from Seoul to assist, Clint would be back on his feet in no time. The two enhanced individuals we had faced remained a mystery, but that would have to wait. Tony was adamant about throwing a farewell party now that Thor was heading home.

I suppose it was time for me to hit the shops and get ready for the festivities.

Next Chapter

[bisonofyesterday]

Bison’s Big Cool TURKEY DAY November 2024 Art Dump!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"BISON!" you might be wondering, "DIDN'T YOU ALREADY POST THE SATURN FIVE??", well mysterious strawman voice! I did! however I had not finished Sneak yet, but now (and by now i mean like early this month) I have! Uhm, I also didn't draw this much because of anxious depression over c e r t a i n e v e n t s early in the month, but I DID do these 2 things! Hell how about I talk about my ideas for them while I'm here eh? THE SENSATIONAL SATURN FIVE!: Pop-Science Superhero Celebrity Group! They have a deal with evil corporation Evenfall Entertainment (and partial government funding) and therefore are the stars of a half-edutainment/half-reality show where they ALSO fight glamorous crime!

Atom Ace: (Howard Hubble) brilliant inventor and total prick, a freak mutation has given Howard total control over his molecular density! Allowing him to chance size at will! He's also invented some neato repulsor rays in his gloves to fly and punch people at a distance! He may have control over his size! But not anyone else in his life! He's the father of two girls and has a weird relationship with his house AI and his science/business partner, they ALL hate eachother! (Howard is inspired by a mix of Hank Pym Ant-Man and Iron Man) Rhea: (Rhea Hubble) the spunky sweetheart of the Saturn V! Rhea can create hard light ring constructs out of her hair, they remind folks of the planet Saturn so she's named after a MOON of Saturn! She's also very rebellious and hates her dad. (as you can see she's flirting with Dani over there in the corner) (Rhea's general costume is inspired by The Wasp but that's where that reference starts and ends) Sneak: (Valentina Hubble) Rhea's older sister, Sneak is the exact opposite of Rhea, being a huge bootlicker for her dad, she also does a lot of the Five's (I.E. Evenfall Entertainment's) dirty work behind the scenes, which is easy! As she has the power of invisibility! Unfortunately she cannot create forcefields but she can harness her invisible energy into electrical arcs! (s-shock people, she can shock people) She does NOT retain her sister's sociability and sticks to the sidelines. (like her pooooowerrssssss) (Val is intended to be the Black Widow expy, but again, appearance and narrative function is basically where that starts and ends) Ternion: Howard's AI whom he made to care for his boring mansion and his children! (that triangle to the top left of her is her true form), she processes data on the Five's (I.E. Howard's) experiments, but she and Howard are also something more! As they have an incredibly unstable emotional-possibly-psychosexual co-dependent relationship! However! Howard is a massive stick in the mud, so Ternion often has to turn elsewhere for her needs! (Ternion physical appearance is tenuously inspired by The Vision), enter!: The Null: (Dhalazor Rogers) originally Howard's closest science confidant, now a background member and semi-constant nuisance for their press! As The Null turns into a HULKING ALIEN ABOMINATION when stressed! He takes 'medicine' to accommodate this, he still actually cares about the work he does (as well as being a father figure for the sisters) but it's obviously gone to Howard's head, and also that emotional maturity is what attracts Ternion to him as well, oh the drama! I just realized now maybe that also helps their ratings (The Null is obvious, the Incredible Hulk, but I also imagine him with weird fish fins like the Abomination) As I've been not at all subtle with here, the Saturn Five are intended to be expies of the Avengers to contrast against the Phenomenal Family's obvious inspirations in the Fantastic Four, Phenomenal! has tons of other expies too, but I'm gonna have to write about them in their own thingies (just know for now that Howard, Dhala, Millie, and Randy all went to the same college), but if it wasn't obvious I'm a MASSIVE fan of the Venture Bros and comics in general and I like taking toys and bashing them together, wow!

Also! The Patriots still exists! Yeah! Unfortunately right now I'm writing the sequel to something completely unrelated to either The Patriots NOR Phenomenal! So stay tuned for that hopefully this Christmas! (I won't rush myself though so I may miss it)

[kseniyagreen]

This ironic smile reads like “you don’t need to make excuses, I can already see that you’re head over heels in love with him.”

This phrase and this look after… Some quiet love triangle going on in the background

[fiefgoldenlake]

Recs for Disability Pride month (and some bonus belated recs for Pride!)

All titles link to Storygraph, which can give you a further synopsis, as well as any warnings.

Godkiller (Godkiller #1) by Hannah Kaner

Meet Kissen - the eponymous godkiller. In a world which has forsaken gods, Kissen deals with those who still prey on the public. She finds herself drawn into a quest with a young girl who is bound to a god. Along the way, they start to uncover what truly happened in their country's war against the gods. Bisexual rep, queer-normal world, main character has a prosthesis.

Iron Widow (Iron Widow #1) by Xiran Jay Zhao

Zetian volunteers herself to be a concubine pilot, to avenge the death of her sister. Giant robots, known as Chrysalises, are piloted by men, with the assistance of a female (concubine) pilot. Zetian's actions lead her to be punished by a match-up with Li Shimin, who has killed every concubine pilot who has ever flown with him. But everyone has underestimated Zetian. Poly, bisexual rep, the correct resolution to a love triangle. The main character suffers from chronic pain, mobility issues, and uses a wheelchair on occasion. 

The Final Strife (The Ending Fire Trilogy #1) by Saara El-Arifi

This is a class-driven society, and clear-blooded Hassa belongs to the ghost class, who've had their tongues cut out and hands severed by the ruling Ember class. The book follows Sylah, one of the Stolen Ember children, forged into a weapon and using drugs to cope with her past, and the beautiful and privileged Anoor. In the background, there's Hassa, keeping an eye on everything. The Ghostings communicate through sign language, and although Sylah is as fluent as possible without being a native, she can't speak it - it is a language exclusive to them. Sylah also suffers from drug withdrawal symptoms in the first book. Trans rep, wlw, mutism. 

Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse

Xiala is a disgraced Teek, charged with bringing a 'harmless' passenger to Tova. Serapio has a destiny, one which has caused him to be blinded, and he's determined to fulfill it. Blind main character (but has the capacity to be magically enhanced), queer-normal world. 

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings #1) by Mackenzi Lee (YA)

Monty is already well-versed in vice before embarking on his Grand Tour with his best friend, Percy. It isn't a problem that he has a big crush on Percy - really. But it is Percy's last chance for freedom, since he suffers from epileptic seizures, and his uncle has judged it best that he be put in a sanitorium at the end of the trip. Bisexual rep, mlm, epilepsy, period-typical homophobia, period-typical discrimination. 

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo

If you haven't already read it and you want to know more about a world like the Court of the Rogue, definitely check this one out! The Crows are a fantastic group, and you can't help rooting for them. Leader Kaz uses a cane and suffers from PTSD - Bardugo says she was looking to create a character who was "disabled and ferocious". Queer found family, mlm amongst the main characters, limp/use of cane, PTSD. 

Bonus Belated Pride Recs The Jasmine Throne (The Burning Kingdoms #1) by Tasha Suri

There's a rot spreading through the nation, which sees dying plants sprout inside people’s bodies, killing them. The Emperor is seeking to crush a rebellion, and will not tolerate any dissent. Priya does what she can to help the poorest citizens, but it's not without a cost, and she needs to keep her head down. Malini, the vengeful princess imprisoned by her own brother, has other ideas, however. Wlw. 

The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos #1) by Samantha Shannon

A quest fantasy with a queendom on one side, where magic is prohibited and the throne of Inys has passed, generation after generation, from mother to identical daughter. On the other side, there be dragons. Assassination attempts, a beautiful wlw romance, another main character who reads as ace, and a gripping plot, this book is worth every one of its (almost) 850 pages. Part of a series but each book stands alone.

Little Thieves (Little Thieves #1) by Margaret Owen (YA)

Vanja is one of my favourite characters that I've encountered in years (and as a bonus, the author is a confirmed TP fan!). This is an irreverent retelling of the Goose Girl from the maid's perspective, and the concept behind the title is, "The little thief steals gold, but the great one steals kingdoms; and only one goes to the gallows." Vanja is a little thief, accustomed to fending for herself, but she comes up against a curse, an impending marriage, and a personified pocket ledger. Demi rep, queer found family. 

Finally, I read Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly, which is a story about two guys who meet hiking the PCT. One of them brought his comfort read - Alanna: the First Adventure

[tumblydovereviews]

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride - Does it Still Hold Up?

Well, it's the Halloween season, and what better way to celebrate than reviewing one of Tim Burton's iconic, spooky stop-motion movies- The Nightmare Before Christmas Corpse Bride! Never before has an animated movie managed to make the concept of death so freakin' hot, but that's another story.

Corpse Bride was released in 2005, so while not as old as the previous installment in our little series, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, it is on the older side of films at almost 20 years old.

The film follows Victor van Dort and Victoria Everglot, whose parents have arranged for them to be married at their own economic and societal gain. Victor becomes so enamored with Victoria that he stumbles over his vows anytime he tries to recite them, ruining a key wedding rehearsal. Embarrassed and ashamed, Victor runs away, where he is now finally able to cite his vows out loud without Victoria witnessing. However, this results in him accidentally attracting Emily, a 'corpse bride' who has been waiting in the forest for years for her love to return. She mistakenly believes this lover is Victor, and now the poor guy is caught in a love triangle between a rich, lovely women and a literal dead body.

First of all, let's address the elephant in the room- the beautiful craftmanship. At times, you forget the movie is even stop-motion because of how lively the props, character movements, and soundtrack all are. I find it ironic that I just called a movie about death lively, but that's the truth.

While I'm not exactly sure the movie has the same level of grandeur as one like The Nightmare Before Christmas has, it doesn't have to. The simplicity of Corpse Bride is what makes the movie beautiful. With a relatively short runtime of only 77 minutes, the movie has little time to express the plots and themes it needs to in order to be successful. Yet, at no point in the movie's run do you think that a scene felt too rushed, or a moment went too slow. The ratio of pacing to plot is perfect.

Both Victor and Emily are ridden by a sense of restlessness as a result of their need for love. Victor is bothered by his ability to love someone 'properly,' while Emily has waited for seemingly years for her lost love to return to her. In marrying Victor, Emily realizes that while she now has her happiness, she has taken the sense of love away from another victim, Victoria. Emily's regret is only cemented when she realizes Victor wasn't the man she's been waiting for all these years; this man is actually a suitor Victoria marries in replace of Victor. At the end of the movie, when Emily transforms into a swarm of butterflies and leaves for good, she's not only departing from Victor's life, but also her sense of sorrow permanently. Emily is never portrayed as a villain, and she isn't; her desire for love is justified based on her patience and desperation. She realize later on that it just wasn't meant to be.

To make this movie even better, Corpse Bride also happens to be a musical, with at least three songs in the movie. My personal favorite song was Remains of the Day. Once again, a movie about mortality is less than dead in its presentation. Danny Elfman does an amazing job with the songs and soundtrack in the movie, one that deserves as much acclaim as the movie ultimately ended up receiving.

Upon it release, Corpse Bride was a commercial and critical success. The movie made 112 million dollars, almost triple that of its budget of 40 million dollars. The movie is currently certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 84% on a critical scale and 77% with audiences. Yet the question still stands- does the movie hold up even after almost two decades?

Yes. Yes it does.

Corpse Bride is a simplistic, but magnificent story demonstrating how deep the bonds of love can fall. Through its detailed, intricate plot, handmade backgrounds and props, and great songs, the movie's message on life, love, and loss is not forgotten. This movie is a must-watch for the Halloween season, and even outside of the spooky season, it doesn't lose its charm and signifigance.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

[quiltingwitch]

A project for a friend, from chaotic notes app sketch to finished quilt!

My goals for this project were to:

-use designs and colors directly inspired by my friend

-build confidence in foundation paper piecing, with the aim to understand the rules so I can design my own patterns eventually

-use as much scrap fabric as possible whenever possible

The grey background, the spines of the book designs, and the improv blocks were all made from half square triangle and strip scraps left over from a wedding quilt made for mutual friends. I think that means my friends’ quilts are siblings. ❤️

This was my favorite part, improvising fpp blocks with small scraps. No rules just right. (Ok some rules- for each block use many blues, use green once, balance with grey. But I made those rules up arbitrarily so I don’t mind following them)

The blue background fabric and border fabric were originally three thrifted shirts. I used fpp technique to make the striping precise.

I listened to a lot of tinglers while making this quilt, and in my opinion this gift for my friend proves love is real. Chuck Tingle is a very inspirational and influential artist for me. I have enormous respect for all his work and I find myself more motivated to create because Chuck trots his trot.

Just two buds and a quilt that proves love is real.

There is so much joy in watching my friends enjoy something I made. I love you guys!

I’m very happy with how this quilt turned out. I was able to pull mostly from my scrap bags for the top, the rest was reclaimed shirts. Foundation paper piecing is sometimes referred to as a technique that creates a lot of scrap, but I’ve found it to be a good way to use scrap. The extra step of piecing solids into a large enough shape to fit the fpp pattern didn’t seem to effect the overall construction, as long as I ironed the seams open. (Fpp does create paper waste though, which I can’t yet figure out how to reuse.) I certainly increased my confidence with fpp and I’m really excited to use the technique more. Best of all, the quilt helped keep my friends warm on a very cold weekend. I’m very lucky to know and be known by them.

Thank you for reading, please enjoy Jasper in his favorite spot: the forbidden blanket. I moved him from his spot many times because I was worried about pin pricks but he kept coming back. The beloved boy loves a basted quilt.

Patterns are Tall Tales by Kate Basti, North Star by Full Bobbin Designs, and Dragonfly by Full Bobbin Designs

[legion1227]

X2: A Movie Review

This has been a good year for everybody's favorite mutants so far.

So far, we are halfway through X-Men 97, a sensational return for the original X-Men cartoon, picking up where it left off and blowing away expectations. Meanwhile, we are still three months away from the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, which will feature the return of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and possibly other surprises from the X-Men films released back in the 2000s, among other Marvel films from then.

With the success of X-Men 97 and the upcoming release of Deadpool & Wolverine, it makes sense to look back and celebrate the X-Men films to come beforehand. At the time of this writing, I have rewatched the X-Men (2000) and X2 only. X-Men: The Last Stand has not been reviewed yet, and X-Men (2000) was good, but X2 is the topic of discussion here, as it's not only better than its predecessor but one of the great comic book films to grace screens.

The last time I watched either X-Men film may have been as a kid during the 2000s. The rewatch all these years later proved how stellar X2 was, buried under the wave of Marvel films to follow throughout the 00s, 10s, and today. If you don't know or have forgotten, X2 introduces its main antagonist, Stryker, played by the brilliant Brian Cox; a man who threatens the existence of mutants with the proposed mutant registration act. After launching a full-front assault on Professor Xavier's school and after Magneto breaks out of prison, the X-Men, Xavier, and Magneto must band together to face a common enemy that threatens their very existence.

From the opening scene of Nightcrawler fighting his way through the White House to make it to the president, the film establishes more clearly than its first one how it has the sauce. Nightcrawler poofing his way throughout the halls and dispatching the guards one by one with opera music in the background is one of the best openings to a CBM. Overall, the action scenes here are a vast improvement over the first one, whether it's the opening scene, the raid on Xavier's school, or Wolverine vs Lady Deathstrike. While the first film's fight scenes were decent, the choreography harbors more dynamic action that contributes to an overall more enjoyable time.

The character work here varies across characters and performances. Ian McKellen has one of the best performances once again. While his role as the antagonist in the previous film was great, his partnership with Xavier, Wolverine, and others forces a compelling dynamic. Magnus breaking out of prison using the iron in a guard's blood was badass. Then, to see him forced to work with his enemies provided entertainment beyond belief. From there, unfortunately, it's a bit of a mixed bag from the other actors and actresses and their characters.

Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is iconic for good reason. He brought gravitas and an aura of savagery that was always entertaining to witness, whether here or in virtually any other film the character appeared in, especially in Logan. Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier is a tour de force in his own right as well, but it's the other members of the X-Men that bring apprehension. While I enjoy James Marsden as an actor, he brought nothing to the table as Cyclops, and reminded me why others for years have hated the Scott Summers character; Coinciding with his performance, Famke Janssen as Jean Grey isn't given many intriguing things to do. It's a bit infuriating when juxtaposed with the performances and stories told in X-Men 97. The X-Men and X2 spend too much time on a love triangle where only one-third of the people involved are engaging to watch on-screen. (Although if X-Men 97 focuses more on the love triangle after the time of this writing, this may age poorly, lmao.)

I liked Shawn Ashmore as Iceman and the scene of him coming out as a mutant to his parents. A decent allegory for a teen coming out as gay to their parents, and I think the scene, as well as Iceman/Bobby Drake in general, work well for the movie. Aaron Stanford's Pyro was also a fun slow-burn, watching him turn heel towards the end of the film. I'm really excited to see him return in Deadpool & Wolverine. Others like Rogue, Beast, Mystique, and Lady Deathstrike, to name a few, I would've liked to have more screen time to grasp these performances and their character moments better. Overall, X2 could've utilized some characters better, but some of the characters get so right and attributed to one of the quintessential 2000s CBM movies out there. There are a handful of iconic scenes to witness or reacquaint with in the first two acts. The third act may waver a little bit, but this is still a great film that warrants a rewatch to appreciate the X-Men further. 4/5.

[hils79]

Title: Man, Interrupted

Fandoms:  盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV), 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei

Relationships: Wang Pangzi & Xie Yuchen, background HeiHua, background Iron Triangle OT3

Summary: 

Maybe next time they’ll be able to make it through a whole spa treatment without having to cancel.

(Five times Pangzi and Xiao Hua's spa date was interrupted, and one time it wasn't)

“I was seconds away from closing the deal when Xiazi called, telling me he’d got into a ‘situation’ and asking if I could help because he was in danger of losing one of his appendages.”

Pangzi winces. As difficult as Wu Xie and Xiaoge can be at times, he wouldn’t trade them for anyone, least of all Hei Xiazi.

Xiao Hua sighs and refills their wine glasses. Generally, Pangzi is more of a beer man, but the wine Xiao Hua has provided is, of course, the finest quality and is light and refreshing in the warm and humid air of the bathhouse.

“Unfortunately,” Xiao Hua continues as he sips his wine, “the appendage they were threatening to remove is one I’m rather fond of so I had to drop everything and help. Lost the deal, which I suppose is no great loss. Do I really want to do business with someone who doesn’t accept that helping a friend comes first?”

Pangzi can’t help but smile. Out in public Xiao Hua is every bit the ruthless businessman everyone believes him to be. But here, when it’s just the two of them with no prying ears, he shows that beneath all that there’s a softer side to him. Pangzi isn’t really sure how to define Xiao Hua and Hei Xiazi’s relationship. Xiao Hua has never given it a name, and Pangzi isn’t one to presume. Hei Xiazi is definitely more than ‘a friend’, but Pangzi doesn’t bother correcting Xiao Hua.

“We have little choice when it comes to matters of the heart,” Pangzi says as he sips his own wine. He knows for a fact that he’d give his own life and anything else he could offer if it meant saving Wu Xie and Xiaoge. It’s certainly not what he imagined all those years ago when he first met them.

Xiao Hua hums his agreement. “And how is retirement treating you? Are things easier now that you’ve finished building the house?”

“A little,” Pangzi says. “But we’ve still got the restaurant to run, and you know what Tianzhen is like. He can’t sit still for more than five seconds without—”

A door somewhere nearby slams open. Pangzi is on his feet before he’s even fully finished processing the sound, with Xiao Hua right behind him.

“Who is it? What’s happening?” Pangzi frantically starts searching for a weapon but there’s nothing to be found beyond a small pile of fresh towels. Well, if he has to fight, he still has his fists, and he knows Xiao Hua can handle himself just fine in a fight without any weapons. If anyone has made the mistake of thinking they can attack the two of them while they’re vulnerable, they’re about to learn a very sore lesson.

“Xiazi?” Xiao Hua sounds a mixture of annoyed, concerned, horrified, and several other emotions that Pangzi can’t put a name to. He can see why as Hei Xiazi staggers in. He’s limping badly, a trail of blood spotting the damp floor behind him and turning it an unpleasant shade of pink.

Read the rest on AO3

[wildstar25]

People I Wanna Get to Know Better

thank you for the tag @iron-sparrow these are always fun

Last Song: This chill remix of the dawntrail theme! Just watched that 200 doors video and it was the last song used

Favorite Color: I'm bad at picking favourites but any blue in this range is top on my list!

Currently Watching: I'm currently rewatching House, M.D. as background noise while I work

Last Movie: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. It was better than I thought it was going to be!

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: I'd rather have something that's savoury AND spicy. Something that's spicy just for the sake of being spicy isn't too appealing imo. You need something to balance the flavour.

Relationship Status: Single

Current (OC) Obsessions: I'm always thinking about Arsay and her partners. I just love their trio so much and I think they all work really well together as characters. I'm really happy that I said "fuck it, Arsay has two hands" so early on in my shb playthrough instead of making it some drawn out love triangle.

Last Thing I Googled: "Arknights tag calculator"

Tagging @eriyu , @espurrs-wild , @nhaneh , @sailor-artemis only if y'all want to though! ^^