#blume's favourites

[artem1sc0re]

Dropping the reveal of my main operatives through doodles because why not 🗣️🗣️‼️‼️

Here’s their appearances in game as well :>

Close-ups:

[prokopetz]

I apologise if you've already answered this, but I tried searching your blog and I'm unsure if you haven't or if it's another example of Tumblr's amazing search system.

I was talking with a friend recently about how much of a culture clash the Monk Class is compared to the rest of Dungeons & Dragons and was wondering if there is a coherent reason for their original inclusion. I'm aware that they're largely influenced by Shaolin monks as depicted in Hong Kong cinema in the 70's/80's as compared to the Sword and Sorcery stuff most of the rest of D&D takes influence from.

Basically, my question ultimately boils down to, "Is the Monk Class there purely because of an original player wanting to rule of cool their way into playing something wildly out of genre, or is there a stronger link between Sword and Sorcery and Hong Kong cinema that could have organically resulted in the Monk Class joining the rest of the classes?"

A lot of the link between the two was simply a matter of time and place. The kung fu craze hit North America at just about exactly the same time as the sword and sorcery revival that gave us films like Clash of the Titans and Beastmaster and The Sword and the Sorcerer and Dragonslayer and Krull – not to mention the Arnold Schwarzenegger Conan adaptation, which revived popular interest in first-wave sword and sorcery literature – so there was a lot of it going around. Analysis of early Dungeons & Dragons as a product of its media influences often overlooks that it was largely drawing on what was trendy in American popular media in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Even the tonally incongruous Lord of the Rings references weren't a deep cut; while the books were originally published in the 1950s, they'd experienced a strong resurgence in the 1970s, putting them firmly in the popular consciousness at the time that D&D was being developed. All this being the case, it's not surprising that early D&D was also substantially influenced by Hong Kong action cinema.

That said, the reason the monk character class in particular (i.e., as opposed to kung fu media influences more generally) is there is allegedly because one specific guy in one of the game's early playtest groups really, really wanted to play as Remo Williams from Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir's The Destroyer; several of the class's signature abilities are direct references to powers Williams exhibits in the course of the novels. Remarks from folks who worked at TSR at the time have pointed the finger at Brian Blume as the Remo Williams fan in question, though accounts are conflicted whether Blume was actually an uncredited contributor to Dave Arneson's Blackmoor (1975), in which the class makes its first proper appearance, or whether Blume's interest merely prompted its inclusion.

This is the case for the character archetypes in a lot tabletop RPGs of that era; instead of trying to work out what classes "ought" be be present, authors would simply start with the types of characters their playtesters actually wanted to play, often based on specific popular media characters, then work backwards to derive an IC rationale for why those were the setting's standard adventuring professions. Other examples from D&D in particular most obviously include the Ranger (based on Tolkien's Aragon, naturally), but also the Paladin (principally inspired by Holger Carlsen from Poul Anderson's 1961 isekai novel Three Hearts and Three Lions, also the source of D&D's goofy regenerating trolls), the Assassin, back when it was still a separate character class (probably mainly based on the Assassin Caste from John Norman's Gor), and even the Wizard to a large extent (less Gandalf than you'd think: a large portion of D&D's iconic wizard spell list is lifted directly from the 1963 Vincent Price film The Raven).

(I often think that modern indie RPGs could benefit from reviving this approach. Like, fuck textual consistency – just pick half a dozen of your favourite popular media characters without regard for the compatibility of the source material and work backwards to explain why these six random assholes are your game's playable archetypes!)

[srednyvashtar]

I've never been terribly active here but I've returned to share my favourite patterns that make me slightly uncomfy and/or ready to star in an absolutely CRACKING sci-fi miniseries, please enjoy.

DEGEN ADULT EYES SWEATER by Lindsay Degen

Who WOULDN'T want this Biblically accurate sweater? The perfect attire for every horrifying occasion.

#22 Raglan Sleeve Pullover by Laura Zukaite

The rather staid naming of this sweater belies its Mad Max energy. After the apocalypse comes for us I hope we can at least dress like this.

Open Waters Shawl by Melanie Berg

A good shawl to wear to a duel to the death with your mortal enemy, if your mortal enemy has trypophobia.

Romanesco Jumper by Ranti Ehinmola

Honestly, the number of variations shown in the project photos for this pattern is amazing. Not only can you fulfill your dreams of looking like a 5th Element villain, you can do it your way.

DEGEN HOLE SWEATER by Lindsay Degen

This is a practical pattern for people like me who are in denial about living in a desert and stubbornly insist on wearing knitwear despite ample evidence this is a bad idea.

Wilderness by Martin Storey

I absolutely adore the 1950s farmhouse vibe of this photo and the beauty and poise of the model juxtaposed with the fact that she looks like a human bittermelon and she is fucking KILLING it

# 17 Patterned Sweater with V-Yoke by Sabrina/Sandra team designers

An unassuming mass-produced pattern from the 90s that, just coincidentally, looks like something you'd wear to head an intergalactic delegation.

Blume by Norah Gaughan

Speaking of space sweaters, here's another that wouldn't look out of place on the bridge of a starship.

Mullion by Martin Storey

This one, on the other hand, looks more like attire for a... space council?

Space Odyssey by Anna Strandberg

This pattern is literally called "Space Odyssey". The author definitely knows.

Dark Moss Pullover by Teti Lutsak

Bringing things back to Earth, the way these broad cables fade into the fabric reminds me of my desire to be buried in one of those mushroom suits after I die. Your interpretation may vary.

Waterbender by Yiğitcan / Pufido

The ultimate in dramatic sleeves.

Day Dreams by Stacy Collingham

Finally... I think the Power Rangers fought this sweater.

[stariikis]

wordle wars | sim jaeyun

desc ; beating jake in any new york times game is nearly unimaginable. nearly. you've done it before, but it's a rare occurrence. so what happens when you surprisingly beat him in all the games there are to offer on that website?

pairing ; smart!simjaeyun x gf!reader genre ; fluff, established rs, hs setting wc ; 920 notes ; yes this is based on today's games lol. what was that mini crossword though...

“this is boring,” you mutter, probably a little too loudly because your physics teacher glances your way and frowns. lowering your voice, you whisper to your seatmate, busy copying down what’s on the whiteboard. “let’s play wordle.” 

jake gives you a half skeptical, half exasperated look. “we’re supposed to be doing practice 3.2, you know that?” 

unbothered, you stick your tongue out at him and taunt him, “you don’t play now, you automatically lose for today! ‘cause i’m going to get it right now.” 

it’s become a daily habit for you and your boyfriend to exchange a knowing look in the middle of class, and hurriedly type in the familiar link to see who’ll get the five letter word first. fortunately for you, your boyfriend just happens to be your seatmate, and it seems you have escaped the wrath of your teachers knowing about your relationship. because otherwise they would have put you in one corner and him in the other. 

it’s amazing how they haven’t separated the two of you, though, for the amount of noise generated from your side of the classroom. but you’re sure every outburst of uncontrollable laughter makes them regret their decision more and more everyday. 

usually, jake’s the one who figures out the word first, or with fewer guesses. you make a fuss, complaining about how he’s ‘totally cheating his way through’. ‘how?’ he asks, smiling in a bemused manner, and you’ll just accuse him of looking up the word or peeking at your screen. other times, when you win, you (obviously) make a fuss, and seize the chance to gloat about your achievement. 

he may be better at english, but you never lose when it comes to teasing him. 

so, threatened by your previous taunt, jake fiercely types in the link, sliding his laptop so you can’t see his screen. 

“it’s okay,” you jeer, turning up your nose his way. “i don’t need to see your screen to win. unlike someone.” 

“how many times do i have to tell you i don’t cheat??? i’m just smart. you have a skill issue.” 

oh, you’re so going to beat him today. 

you type in the five letters of your favourite starter word, 

heart

the ‘e’ is probably at the end. ugh, these words are stupid, it could be forever until i get it right. 

you sneak a glance at jake’s screen just to provoke him, and you’re met with a competitive glare. 

“no peeking. see? you always do this,” he whines, shoving your shoulder. 

rolling your eyes, you lean back and type,

blume

damn, the ‘e’ isn’t at the end. that’s funny. then it’s at the start. here… what word starts with ‘eb?’ 

ebony

when the letter tiles flip over to reveal a fully green word, you gasp a little too loudly and shake jake’s arm. which earns you a stare from your teacher again, but he says nothing. does he even care about what you do in class? probably not. 

“i got it, in three! it’s hard today,” you giggle, mentally crossing your fingers he doesn’t humble you by getting the word in two. (you’ll actually hide and repent.)

jake immediately turns your way and grins. you can’t tell if he’s acting, or if he’s actually beaten you. “i got it in one.” 

“no way, you liar!” you slide the laptop so you can see his screen. unsurprisingly, he hasn’t gotten it. in fact, he’s already submitted three guesses without figuring out the word. hence, you are victorious. you smugly reach over and flick his arm. 

“yeah yeah, i didn’t. but i’ll beat you in the other games.” 

when he finally gets the word, you move on to connections, and you beat him for this one too, though it takes you both some time. because in what world is ‘fathom’ a unit of length? why is ‘yard’ under that same category and not under ‘____ sale?’ jake mutters something under his breath about how american the system is when you show him the answers. 

strands is easy to you, but for some reason it takes jake some time to realise the theme. (‘you don’t know anything art related, do you?’ ‘obviously not. that’s why i’m in this physics class with you, stupid.’) 

soon enough, class is over, but you haven’t finished playing all the games. on the way home, you challenge each other to set a new high score on spelling bee, see who solves the hardest sudoku first, and battle to get the lowest timing for the mini crossword. 

you beat him for every single one. 

by the time you have to part ways and say goodbye, jake’s rolled his eyes enough times for them to stay stuck there at the top of his head. your teasing just never ends, even until the final moment. 

jake opens his arms for his routinely goodbye hug, and when you give it to him, you can’t help but to whisper, “i think i’m starting to get better at these dumb games. better than you.” 

instead of getting annoyed like you hoped he would, he merely replies with a short kiss on your cheek, “maybe you’re just a genius today, baby. must have donated some of my brain cells overnight. i’ll beat you tomorrow.” 

though the flirtatious quip he deadpans does throw you off a little, you can’t let it affect you. through a slightly blurred vision and warm cheeks, you laugh it off and wave as you walk your separate way home. “you can try.”

more of my works >

[embrosegraves]

𝕊𝕚𝕥 𝕎𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕄𝕖

(request) Sebastian Vettel x Reader  The reader just wants to spend time with their boyfriend  Cuddles! Lots of them!

Warnings: None! I love these fluffy requests so much omg

It wasn’t often that Sebastian was home for the week. Usually during the mid year break you would both go for a holiday in some other country, and during the end of year break you would be spending only a few weeks in Switzerland before going to England so that he could be closer to Aston Martin’s HQ. This was the routine ever since you and Seb had started dating during his RedBull days.

If there was ever any down time between races, you insisted on going straight to where the next race was being hosted, no matter how long it was until the next race, because you liked being organised and Seb just liked making you happy. 

It was mid January and you had both gotten to England only three days ago. Seb had been in his office for at least far too many hours today and while you were fine on your own, you wanted to spend some of your time with him before his schedule would pick up for the year. 

Quietly peeking your head through his office door, you called out for his attention. 

“Sebby?” you whispered. 

He looked up from the desk and smiled when he saw you. He always smiled when he looked at you. You were his favourite thing to look at. 

“Yes, Liebe?” 

You loved it when he used sweet pet names with you. Especially when they were in his mother tongue. They made you feel extra special. 

“Can I spend some time in here? I just want to be around you for a bit.” 

If anyone were to ask you what you thought was the one thing that kept your relationship as strong as it was, you would tell them that the best thing you both had done for your relationship was being completely honest with each other. You had agreed pretty early on that you would always speak your mind to the other person so that there was no chance of things being miscommunicated. It was your biggest peeve in your previous relationship and you would always thank the stars that Sebastian had agreed on the unnecessity of being vague with a romantic partner. 

“Of course, Blume. I would be delighted with your company.” 

Sebastian prided himself on always making himself available for you. He never wanted you to feel like you were second fiddle to his racing career. If his schedule was jam packed with things to do, he would go out of his way to spend at least an hour of his day with you. An hour that was not allocated to sleeping or waking up. 

He watched as you quietly entered the room, even though there was no need to be quiet. Seeing you look around the room for somewhere to put yourself while he worked, an idea came to his head. 

“C’mere, you can sit on my lap until I’m done.” He held his hand out for you to grab as you came around the side of his desk. You would never give up an opportunity to sit with him. 

Pushing the chair back so you could sit down, he guided you to sit facing him, with your legs on either side of his. Once you were comfortable, you wrapped your arms around his waist and nuzzled your head into his neck. As you settled he gave a kiss to your head before scooting back towards his desk, one hand rubbing your back and the other flipping pages of development data for him to read over before he went to HQ in the morning. 

You spent 2 hours like this just enjoying the close proximity and presence of your lover. These were the times you treasured the most. It didn’t matter that Seb’s legs had fallen asleep 30 minutes in, and it didn’t matter that your arms were a little sore between his back and the chair. What mattered was spending time with each other. 

What mattered was the fact that no matter how hectic the rest of the year got, you would always have a place to rest on Sebastian’s lap.

I'm actually so in love with this because it's just so simple, yet so?? Cute? Adorable? Am I just naming synonyms?? Anyway, It's a little shorter that what I've posted previously but I wanted to keep it sweet and simple.

I hope you all enjoyed and are having a wonderful holiday season!

requests, likes and reblogs are ALWAYS appreciated xx

[simptasia]

LOST reading list

a list of books read by characters in lost for you to enjoy (or not). this isn't every book referenced in lost. for all that and more, see the "literary works" page on lostpedia, where im getting my info

no, my criteria for this list is that it's been read by a lost character. i'll tell you who (you'll see sawyers name a lot), and i'll add if it's somebody's fave book. this list will not include things like the bible or the qur'an or historical texts, as that while that can technically be recreational reading (it seems to be for ben), i'd rather not

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (read by Jack)

Are You There God? It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume (read by Sawyer)

A Brief History of Time by Stephan Hawking (read by Ben)

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (read by Ben)

Caravan of Dreams by Idries Shah (read by Ben)

Carrie by Stephen King (Read by Juliet, Ben and various other Others. This is Juliet's favourite book)

The Chosen by Chaim Potok (read by Sawyer)

Dark Horse by Tami Hoag (read by Jack)

The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger by Stephen King (read by Ben)

Dirty Work by Stuart Woods (read by Jack)

Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor (read by Jacob)

Evil Under The Sun by Agatha Christie (read by Sawyer)

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (read by Ben)

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (read by Ben)

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (read by Sawyer)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (read by Jack)

Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salmon Rushdie (read by Desmond)

Hotel by Arthur Hailey (read by Ben)

The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares (read by Sawyer)

Lancelot by Walker Percy (read by Sawyer)

Laughter in the Dark by Vladimir Nabokov (read by Hurley)

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky (read by Ilana)

The Oath by John Lescroart (read by Ben)

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (read by Sawyer. This is Sawyer's favourite book and author)

Roots by Alex Haley (read by Ben)

A Separate Reality by Carlos Castaneda (read by Ben)

The Sheltering Shy by Paul Bowles (read by Ben)

Ulysses by James Joyce (read by Ben)

Valhalla Rising by Clive Cussler (read by Ben and Jack)

VALIS by Philip K. Dick (read by Ben)

Watership Down by Richard Adams (read by Boone and Sawyer)

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle (read by Sawyer)

Every work by Charles Dickens other than Our Mutual Friend (read by Desmond. This is his favourite author)

I encourage you to speculate on the character implications put forth by these reading choices. This can raise such questions as: Jack is a Harry Potter fan? What is Desmond's favourite book by Charles Dickens? Boone can read??

Thank you for your time

[randomnameless]

Hey! For the character ask game: 2 and 3 for FE4's Julia and 20 for Rhea?

Julia first!

Favorite canon thing about this character?

That's a hard question lol, because canon!Julia is... well, Kaga put it in words better than anything I could, but to him, she was designed as a Falchion with legs... Make of that what you want :/

Favourite thing would be... the line she has with not!Julius, asking Loptry why the fuck is he ruining her life - sure it's not much, but through this line, we see some anger and backbone for a character who was fridged by the plot, and cannot even have a line about her Father's death when she earlier called him the "kindest man" she ever knew.

Sure, it can feel like "sad uwus" for Oldvis, but in a game where family feuds are at the forefront of the plot, Julia lashing out at Loptyr for ruining her life should, at least, have had a line about her dad's demise.

So yeah, favorite thing from canon is "wow Julia can be angry and emote!".

I know, it's not much, but I'm willing to take everything at this point lol

Least favorite canon thing about this character?

Everything!

More seriously, from the amnesia convenient subplot (which is completely stupid because, much like Deedee, Julia isn't killed before Chapter 10, when her unit dies she's "caught" by the big boss of the map and returns to you at the end of the chapter iirc, so if, say, Blume, Danan or even Travant "caught" her, that plot would have been lifted because you can't make me believe those three never knew who she was, especially since she's, looks wise, a carbon copy of Deedee and shares the same name as the imperial princess who went 'missing') to the lack of lines regarding her dad's death - sure it's played as some "she knows what's most important in this current situation, it's to rekt Loptry" but the epilogue??? Nothing???

Seliph even hammering that only Azelle's children have a bond and duty to Velthomer???

Granted, the most egregious thing in canon would be the fact that she can be killed - and the game can still be beaten bcs fuck the narration and the "only the book of naga can defeat loptyr" I guess, Seliph must be able to save the world single handedly, even if it runs contrary to his characterisation that basically amounts to "I feel like fraud".

---

For Rhea !

Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn’t matter?

I would say... Surprisingly or not, Manuela!

Not only because Manu is a Nabatean friend (which makes her Supreme Bullshit exclusivity in Nopes completely weird) but because I think Manu's deeply anchored in that "mundane life" Rhea aspires to, but avoids due to her function, let it be eating or just chatting with friends, etc etc.

In a verse where the cat is out of the bag and Manu knows Rhea's ears are pointy, I feel like they could still be able to talk about random things, from children in the monastery to fashion, food and maybe songs - Manuela singing what is basically Sothis' lullaby meant for Rhea is just something Rhea would feel especially emotional about, because it's still sharing a song from her mother, from Nabatea, to a human who in turn, can share it around and make that memory live on!

Manu wouldn't be a "best friend" as in a friend with whom Rhea would have a lot in common, but a "best friend" in the way that, thanks to Manu, Rhea will finally be able to "live" in the Fodlan she's protecting even if it means going out for a drink or sharing soup recipes, and I believe she would value a relationship like that.

[loganofthenorth]

Feels like I just can't have heroes anymore.

For the longest time, JK Rowling was my hero.

Then she turned out to be an outspoken transphobic, racist, ableist, with a borderline nazi rhetoric

And now if you so much as like Harry Potter you're part of the problem

And I know it's just a book

I understand that

But it was weaved into my identity for the majority of my childhood

To the point that my parents still buy me Harry Potter stuff as gifts because seeing Harry Potter stuff makes them think of me

And they make comments about how my taste in clothing, colours, etc remind them of Harry Potter because I (used to?) like it

And then I have to explain that my attitude with Harry Potter is complicated right now because of JK Rowling and how much hatred everyone has for her and by proxy her stories and by proxy anyone that likes her stories

And they aren't as chronically online with a constant stream of information on the subject like I am

So they dismiss it and tell me I shouldn't let the internet bully me into not liking something that I love

But there's so much language suggesting that you're a horrific person if you like Harry Potter and that scares me

Because I know the things JK Rowling has said and done is wrong, and that she's using her immense privilege and wealth for terrible things.

But I grew up, a child, loving her books. My writing is inspired by her. I've now become afraid of becoming a successful author because of her. Because what if I slip up? What if the influence her books and other main stream medias have on my writing upset people enough to see me as evil?

My writing is also inspired a lot by the Author Judy Blume. Thankfully she has never been labeled as a committer of atrocities to my knowledge, but I never thought of her as a hero since I didn't relate as much to her characters as I did to JK Rowling. I just found her (Judy Blume's) books funny, entertaining, and helpful to understand a normal person's perspective on the world.

Then I finally worked through my fear and anxiety and rejection sensitivity dysphoria

Put aside the fear that I should give up my writing career

Let go of JK Rowling and of my love for Harry Potter, and just leave it as a fond memory of a book series I used to love and...

Well basically I act as if Harry Potter was a phase I grew out of

Even though I didn't but... anyways

Once I had made myself move on, I considered Neil Gaiman as my hero...

...

Coraline is my favourite movie

I started watching Good Omens last year and it was ingenious and I've been meaning to finish it

Neil Gaiman is an active member of Tumblr's community

And is a hero to many

But now I can't go on any social media's without seeing posts about how he's a sexual assailant and a predator

And everyone talking about how he's actually always been one and everyone is an idiot for liking his books

And...

And...

I don't know. Maybe I'm simply cursed.

Temple Grandin was hated in the Autism community for a short time when I thought of her as a hero

I wanted to become a psychologist because of her advocacy

Mozart and Vincent Van Goph have not turned out to be secret mass murderers or got dismissed completely over something out of their control from what I know thankfully. Albert Einstein is ridiculed a lot but not considered evil, just responsible for the atomic bomb but it's recognized that it was out of his control.

Arnold Nobel is pretty safe because he made the Nobel Prize to make up for his greatest achievement/mistake thus why he is a hero of mine

Though Nikola Tesla turns out he was a eugenicist...

Just... *ugh*

I've stopped calling Thomas Sanders my hero because several people were attacking him in the fandom at one point and I was paranoid it was because of this 'curse' my anxiety seems to think I have so while I still love Sanders Sides I'm careful not to think of Thomas Sanders as a hero or someone I idolize because then if he either turns out corrupt or gets his name dragged through the mud based on a misunderstanding I'll have to deal with the rejection sensitivity disorder telling me everyone will hate me because I associate myself with him vaguely

Even though there's so many people I want to look up to I won't let myself because I'm paranoid that I'm cursed

I'm paranoid when I write that I'll become someone's favourite author

That my books will mean everything to them

And then all of a sudden I'm deemed evil

I don't know what I'd do to be labeled that

But it's happened to me in High School where I slipped up and said something that got twisted and then everyone was at my throat about it

What if I say something I mean as supportive and it gets taken the wrong way?

What if people use AI to claim I did something I didn't do?

What if a story really similar to one I publish exists and I don't know about it so I get charged with copyright?

What if because it's so hard for me to understand mob mentality I don't jump on a bandwagon quickly enough and people think I side with whoever has been deemed as evil?

I'm very logical and analytical and also have a lot of empathy

I try to look at every side of the story before I make a judgement

It's hard to figure out how I'm supposed to react when overnight suddenly videos calling your childhood hero a monster go viral

I don't want to say people are wrong for hating JK Rowling

Or even that they are wrong for hating Neil Gaiman

But I'm confused when people feel guilty for having enjoyed their books

When people start to attack anyone that likes anything associated with the person or anything the person benefits from

Why does a few bad actions taint everything a person has every done?

And why should people be shamed for liking a story?

Yes, books are a part of the author's soul, and the author benefits from you liking the book

But I don't understand how a soul considered evil takes a part of themselves they believe is good to put into the world, then another soul takes that and loves it and transforms it through their own interpretations, until it becomes part of them, how does that then corrupt the second soul into another evil soul?

I want to understand, I really do

But the way I see it art is far too complex for the black and white thinking of 'if you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem.'

It's like being on the other end of a game of operator.

If the first person says a nasty thing, and it goes down the line until it's converted into a funny wholesome joke, and the person on the other end laughs at that joke, are they then judged for laughing at the nasty joke?

I don't know.

I try not to say any of this out loud

I don't want to be dismissed by my family for caring so much about what people online think

I don't want to be misunderstood by people online as defending the people they probably rightfully hate? And then get attacked for not understanding? I've done a lot of research, read a lot of takes on it. I don't know. It's just not making sense to me.

Also how does the general public decide who is and isn't evil? Because for most of my life I thought it was a sad and terrible thing, but normal for the world to be corrupt and for people to do bad things. Why do people have to be completely and morally perfect for it to be okay to like a book they wrote?

I'm not trying to say separate art from the artist. That's what people have said to reassure me and it doesn't sit right. I still believe that the artist's wrongdoings shouldn't be ignored, and that it's okay to be upset about the book by proxy. I just don't understand getting mad at anyone that does like the book or even someone that used to before they even knew. Why are people feeling guilty for something they couldn't have possibly known? Why are they feeling guilty for enjoying a story that they obviously enjoyed for reasons unrelated to the things they hate the artist for?

I don't know.

I know Neil Gaiman puts himself in his works. You cannot separate art from the artist.

But I don't know how you can link liking Coraline to condoning sexual assault.

[enbysiriusblack]

marauders favourite writers:

remus- allen ginsberg

lily- charlotte brontë

james- ursula k. le guin

mary- judy blume

sirius- countee cullen

marlene- robin green

emmeline- kim hyesoon

peter- marv wolfman

dorcas- angela davis

regulus- edgar allan poe

[chrystabelleblaumferge]

Bethany Pentaghast

◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥

Basic Information

Name: Bethany Annabelle Diane Elizabeth Pentaghast

Nicknames: Beth, 'Ma Cherie' (Clarisse), 'Birdie' (Professor Fig), 'Princess Blueblood' (Sebastian), Demoiselle Pentaghast (Alain)

Gender: Female

Birthday: 22nd June 1875

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Ethnicity: 1/2 English, 1/2 French

Nationality: English/British

Birthplace: St. Mungos Hospital, London, England

Species: Human (Witch)

Blood Status: Pureblood

◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥

Physical Information

Hair Colour: Dark Red

Eye Colour: Ice Blue

Height: 145cm (Year 1)

Weight: 30kg (Year 1)

Body Type: (Will be Revealed by Book 5)

Three Sizes: (Will be Revealed by Book 5)

Skin Color: Pale

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Relationships

Familial

(Patrilineal)

Clarisse Pentaghast (Mother)

Edward Pentaghast (Father)

Maribelle Pentaghast (Half-Sister)

The Matriarch/Gertrude Pentaghast (Grandmother)

Albert Pentaghast (Grandfather - Deceased)

Cecelia Pentaghast (Aunt)

Arianna Pentaghast (Aunt)

Brunehilde 'Brynhildr' Pentaghast (Ancestor *10th Century)

Alphonse Malfoy (Ancestor *10th Century)

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(Matrilineal)

Charles Mercier (Grandfather)

Monique Mercier (Grandmother)

Amelie Gautier (Aunt)

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(Descendants)

Henrietta (Daughter)

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Non-Blood Related Relations

(Adoptive Family & Platonic Relations)

Eleazar Fig - Mentor, Adoptive Father Figure

Miriam Fig - Idol, Adoptive Mother Figure

Garreth Weasley - Good Friend

Cressida Blume - Friend

Samantha Dale - Friend

Merlin - Ally

Abraham Ronen - Favourite Professor next to Professor Fig

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(Neutral)

Sebastian Sallow - Rivals, but begrudgingly respects him. Conflicted on how she perceives him

Anne Sallow - Acquaintances

Poppy Sweeting - Acquaintances

Cecil Huntington - Respects as a Prefect

Mirabel Garlick - Respects as a Prefect and Head Girl

Aesop Sharp - Respects as a Teacher but fears him for his strictness

Dinah Hecat - Respects as a Teacher

Matilda Weasley - Respects as a Teacher and Head of House

Ominis Gaunt - Strangers

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(Romances)

(To be Revealed in Book 3)

(To be Revealed in Book 4)

(To be Revealed in Book 4)

(To be Revealed in Book 6 *Endgame Romance)

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(Enemies)

???? - Natural Enemies

Portia Codsworth - Despises for ruining her parents' marriage

Maribelle Pentaghast - Mutual Dislike from their mothers' rivalry

Everett Clopton - Bully, Enemies

Astoria Crickett - Bully, Enemies

Charlotte Morrison - Bully, Enemies

Leander Prewett - Bully* (Subject to change)

Bernadette Rosier - Disliked by her for Blood Traitor status

Aloysius Malfoy - Disliked by him for Blood Traitor status, Family rivalry

Members of House Malfoy - Family Rivalry, Old Feud from the 10th Century

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Loyalty, Alignment & Misc Information

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor

Moral Alignment: Lawful Good

Patronus: Phoenix

Boggart: (To be revealed after Book 3)

Amortentia: Lavender, Rose-scented Tea, Old Books

Loyalty:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Gryffindor House

Pentaghast Family (Faltering)

(Will be Revealed in Book 2)

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Personality

Bethany starts off as a studious, shy and socially reserved girl due to her strict upbringing. She is well-mannered and polite being raised in an aristocratic wizarding family. Being the firstborn daughter of House Pentaghast meant that her elders had great expectations for her to become the next Matriarch of her house.

Her mother and grandmother's strictness while growing up had led her to retreat to her books to daydream about tales of heroes of old as a means of escapism from her responsibilities. To her, books are her one escape from reality.

Her deep-rooted desire to escape the clutches of her demanding family and find the courage to forge her own path in life had caused the Sorting Hat to place her in Gryffindor as it overrides her desire to fulfill her elders' expectations of having her be sorted in Ravenclaw.

As she grows older, she becomes more confident and unafraid to speak her mind, influenced by Miriam Fig who inspired courage within her. She is a very kind individual whose sense of altruism would lead her to place others above herself. Even when wronged by someone, she refuses to let go of her strong moral code and treat her opponents with respect. She still prefers to treat races deemed inferior by wizardkind (Goblins, Faeries, etc) with respect despite her noble origins.

However, she does have a judgmental streak where she would display a dismissive attitude toward subjects or topics she considers illogical or regards as pseudo-science such as Astrology and Divination. This would lead her to several disagreements with her housemate Emilia Lindley, who loves both subjects dearly.

She can be dishonest with certain people, often displaying a "tsundere-like" behavior toward them. Often toward people with whom she feels conflicting emotions. Her inability to be forthcoming with them is largely influenced by how her mother would punish her harshly for expressing negative emotions.

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Likes:

Tales of Chivalry and Heroism (Mainly Le Morte d'Arthur)

Rose Scented Tea

Studying in the Common Room

Solving Mysteries

Dislikes:

Ghosts/Undead Creatures

Blood Supremacist Beliefs

Pureblood Culture

Dishonest Men

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Subject Proficiency

Defense Against the Dark Arts: A+, Did not start as naturally talented in the subject but becomes better at it through hardwork

Charms: S+, Displays great aptitude for spellcasting and control over Charms

History of Magic: S, Passion for reading and learning lets her excel in the subject

Arithmancy: A+, Good at solving mathematical problems as needed for Ancient Magic research

Runology: A+, Displays utmost passion due to correlation to Ancient Magic research

Potions: A-, Would have scored higher if she did not enable Garreth's bad habits in making Sharp angry

Herbology: C, Decent but lacks interest

Astronomy: C, Decent but lacks interest

Divination: F, Despises and lacks clairvoyance

Care for Magical Creatures: C, Decent but lacks interest

Flying: F, Disastrously Bad

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Miscellaneous

OC to OC Relations (Allowed, but must ask for permission)

All information is subject to change as the series progresses, more shall be revealed later

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Credits

yooreeart (for commissioned drawing)

[juliesmac]

@kiwiplaetzchen for the character sheet, @vienguinn for the (lovely) artwork

FINALLY, I bring you the finished character sheet of Valerie! and just in time for her birthday!! so, happy birthday to the silly character I put so much thought into>:)

depending on how things progress in the future this will probably be edited over time to add new things/change things!

I figured since it is her birthday, I should technically introduce y’all to her some more! so, without further ado,

Name :: Valerie June Pine

Age :: sixteen +

Nickname(s) :: pinecone, junebug, junie

Gender & Pronouns :: female, she/her

Birthday :: June 15th, 1874

Nationality :: British / Born in Westminster, London, UK.

Zodiac Sign :: Gemini

Languages Spoken :: English, French.

Hobbies: herbology, journaling and writing, reading about dragons and various rare creatures, playing the piano (but only knowing 2 songs), exploring and going on adventures to learn more. she enjoys divination and a good prank

Favourite Colour(s) :: Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, Beige

Favourite Place(s) :: Hogsmeade, The Forbidden Forest, London, Warm summer afternoons

Favourite Food(s) :: Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Pumpkin Pie, Strawberry Jam on toast, Freshly baked bread, Chicken

Least Favourite(s) :: Custard, Rhubarb, anything sour!!

Favourite Drink(s) :: Cinnamon Tea, Pumpkin Spice Tea, Orange Juice

Best Friend(s) :: Sebastian Sallow, Ominis Gaunt, Natsai Onai, Poppy Sweeting, Garreth Weasley, Imelda Reyes, Amit Thakkar, Adelaide Oakes, Leander Prewett, Evangeline Bardsley, Nellie Oggspire, Grace Pinch-Smedley, Nerida Roberts

Love Interest(s) :: Poppy Sweeting, Ominis Gaunt

Other Friends :: Anne Sallow, Samantha Dale, Cressida Blume, Lucan Brattleby, Everett Clopton, Astoria Crickett, Deek, Sophronia Franklin, Richard Jackdaw, Zenobia Noke, Mahendra Pehlwaan, Arthur Plummly, Sirona Ryan, Scrope, Professor Fig, Professor Weasley

Enemies :: Ranrok, Victor Rookwood, The Poachers

About her family ::

Father - Michael Wolf Pine (Diseased)

Mother - Mary-Anne Peony Pine (Diseased)

Family Background - Living most of her life surrounded by muggles was primarily her mothers choice, and throughout her early years, she was not introduced to magic or the wizarding world. Her mother aimed to keep her out of wizarding world affairs for as long as she possibly could, due to her beliefs that her own kind was too dangerous for her pure-blooded child. Because of this, they stayed in London and surrounded themselves with muggles to keep themselves hidden.

Mary-Anne’s entire life she felt more drawn to beasts, and spent most of her life only surrounded by plants rather than with people. That was, however, until she met Valerie’s father.

It was fact, that wizarding families were more prone to losing younger family members. Their inability to control their own magic made them noticeable, and in turn vulnerable to Muggle witch-hunters.

Valerie’s fathers work studying muggles was often frowned upon by his magical peers. In the 17th century, a time where Valarie’s parents were mainly raised & surrounded by fear due to the persecution of wizarding children and adults, muggles would often attempt to force witches and wizards to perform magic for their needs. And because of this wizards and witches decided to retaliate, some— even decided to harm muggles . Due to these events, there was (and still is) a heavy distrust between wizarding kind and muggles, and vice versa. Some wizards even considered starting a war with the muggles because of all the witch trials and executions. Stigma still lies around muggles and their past hatred for wizardkind, but Valerie’s parents trust muggles more than wizarding kind because of their lack of power.

Of course, with time comes curiosity, and by the age of 11 Valerie was no longer naive enough to believe that her father was really just working an office job. Of course, she pursued learning magic in secret from her mother regardless. Valerie found ways to read her mothers old herbology journals, to access her fathers filing cabinets in his home office, where she read about the ministry of magic and found a copy of the daily prophet. Nonetheless, soon it became too hard to hide the fact that she was a witch in front of muggles.

So for the safety of her family, Valerie's mother reluctantly they decided to move to Godric's Hollow, a quaint village in the West Country of England. It was a small community, which centered on a village square with only a church, a post office, a pub, and a few retail shops (Including one she would eventually own). It was the exact kind of quiet they needed, even if Valerie’s mother did not completely agree. 

Her mother eventually had opened a retail herbology store in Godric's Hollow, that primarily served as a shop to sell ingredients for potions, etc. But she also housed quite a few magical beasts in the barn behind the shop.

Death Date: 1890, September 2nd. Poachers, who happened to be passing through their small town, walked into her shop and insisted on taking the beasts off her hands for a ‘discounted price’. Her mother insisted against it, stood her ground, and made it clear she would not be giving away any of her beasts today, and especially not to them. As a result, on their way out of town the poachers proceeded to set the barn on fire. While the barn and the connecting store burnt down in a fiery blaze, her mother ran inside the barn to rescue as many beasts as she could. When she did not return after they saw most of the beasts escape, Valerie's father ran inside to save her mother as well. Neither survived the tragic incident.

Because of her parents death, she decided to take whatever money she could make selling their old property, and use it towards transferring to Hogwarts to start her 5th year and begin learning magic. Revenge drives her, and she will do anything to learn magic so she can wipe out as many poachers as she can.

[severalpossiblemusiks]

8, 10, 15, 27, 29?

8: favourite quote or song lyrics?

I think "do I really have choice? No no no" from "the Scarecrow" by Avantasia is one of my favourite lines from a song. Especially the way Tobias just goes all-out in the live at Wacken recording.

Some full song lyrics are probably "An Die Musik" by Franz Schubert and "Du Bist Wie Eine Blume" by Robert Schumann. I had to sing both for my music degree and the first is bout how Art is beautiful and holy and raises one from the depth of despair, and the second is about a man about to marry his wife comparing her to a flower. Both are just sweet and beautiful.

10: most underrated musician in your opinion?

Oh gee this is really hard cause I don't know what counts as underrated or not.

I think Buckethead is one. Like he's well known within the guitar community and incredibly talented, but his popularity is rather limited and it's nearly impossible to find anything of his.

Another nominee for underrated musicians include: Haralabos "Harry" Stafylakis, a composer I had to interview for my degree, who combines classical music with progressive metal.

I can't think of any more at the moment.

15: when was your first concert?

About 3 years ago when Alice Cooper came through town. It was a lucky break really.

27: a song that has many meaning to you?

I dunno. I've never really thought about the meanings of songs to me. They're just kind of all "I like them". Like Avantasia is probably the most meaning-laden band for me, so I guess "Lost In Space" cause it's a mixture of romantic, melancholic, naive, and disillusioned?

29: favourite music video right now?

Hmmm. So many of the music videos I watch are just "the band playing in a unique location" so it's hard to find a favourite there. I guess Meat Loaf's "I would do anything for love" is cool cause of just how overt the top it is.

[myclutteredbookshelf]

My mother and I were recently having a discussion about authors we read a lot during our preteen years and have decided to pose a challenge for each other in the new year: she'll assign me one of her favourite Judy Blume novels to read and I'll assign her a Jacqueline Wilson novel that I love. These are the ones I've narrowed it down to.

[welcome-to-trash]

5 Songs I actually listen to

🎶✨when you get this you have to put 5 songs you actually listen to, publish. then, send this ask to 10 of your favorite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool) 🎶✨

Thank you @kayssun​ for tagging me!

In no particular order:

Natasha Blume - Black Sea

Perfect enemies to lovers song.

Miracle of Sound & Karliene - Perfect

Gavin Dunne (Miracle of Sound) makes songs inspired by video games, TV shows and films. This particular song is inspired by Arcane and it‘s beautiful.

Neoni - FUNERAL

Neoni might be my musical discovery of the year. They make amazing songs, I had a hard time picking one for this list because there were so many worthy candidates. FUNERAL is my current „listen to it on repeat until I hate it“ song so it felt the most appropriate for this.

Jorge Rivera-Herrans, Teagan Earley - Warrior of the Mind

EPIC the Musical is an amazing project by Jorge Rivera-Herrans. It‘s a musical adaptation of Homer‘s Odyssey entirely written by this one guy. It is not released yet, but many songs are on Spotify already and Jorge releases posts of the musical every now and then on Youtube, TikTok and Instagram. „Warrior of the Mind“ was the first song of this project I ever encountered and it captured me immediately. I am so looking forward to this musical.

Beth Crowley - Hard to Kill

This song just has an amazing vibe. Especially if you happen to be writing a dark story featuring a protagonist with a traumatic past who worked their way to the top.

So for tagging people, I don‘t wanna pick favourites so I‘ll just tag a couple of people who might have fun doing this. No pressure though!

@tremorsmackenzie

@theellicookie

@dead-flower-diary

@undoubtablyhuman

@7tarya7

Also if you weren‘t tagged by anyone yet and you wanna do this, you are hereby tagged too!

[21by72]

Mumbai Startups: Backbone of India’s Digital Revolution

Mumbai is not just the ‘City of Dreams’ where you live your dream, it is also the backbone of India’s startup ecosystem. Advancing at the speed of e-commerce, fintech, artificial intelligence and tech driven services, Mumbai is fast accelerating the country’s pace of digital transformation. Supportive business environment, access to investors, and highly-skilled workforce keep it a thriving place for innovations.

Why Mumbai is your favourite startup place

Mumbai has become the startup capital of India as it enjoys several advantages that enable the growth of new-age businesses—including a robust financial ecosystem, government support and world-class talent. Let’s understand what makes Mumbai a startup city.

Access to Capital

It has a large network of venture capitalists, angel investors and startup accelerators which makes it easier to get funds for startups. This has attracted big shots like Sequoia Capital, Accel Partners, and Blume Ventures for supporting Mumbai based Startups to get financial assistance for their big ideas to grow.

Highly Skilled Talent Pool

Institutes such as IIT Bombay, NMIMS, SP Jain, and St. Xavier’s College continue to generate a proportionate number of skilled professionals that add value to the startup ecosystem. A well-educated workforce enables new businesses to innovate and scale more quickly.

Policies & Initiatives by the Government

Initiatives like the Mumbai Fintech Hub and the Maharashtra State Innovation Society demonstrates the Maharashtra government’s contribution to the startup ecosystem. These initiatives offer regulatory support, tax advantages, and monetary assistance to help startups launch and grow their businesses in a seamless manner.

Thriving Business Ecosystem

Mumbai is home to corporate empires, IT companies and financial institutions. Also, business districts like Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Powai provide co-working spaces, networking opportunities, and offer up-to-date digital infrastructure, making a perfect backdrop for the startups to function and grow.

Growth & Networking Opportunities

Mumbai has a plethora of startup summits, industry meetups, and networking activities that entrepreneurs can profit from. Events such as the Global Startup Summit by 21BY72 help make such a space for the startups to mingle with potential investors, mentors, and industry veterans.

Not only is the city known as the financial capital of the country, Mumbai is also the backbone of India’s digital economy.

As the financial hub of India, Mumbai is at the helm of a digital revolution. The country’s digital economy is being shaped by the city’s established infrastructure, leading tech firms and a burgeoning fintech sector. Mumbai is a hotbed of technology-led businesses given its extensive internet connectivity and international access.

Read our key drivers of Mumbai’s digital growth

Fintech Boom — Digital payment systems, mobile banking, and investment technology platforms drive financial inclusion.

AI & SaaS Growth – Startups in the field of artificial intelligence and SaaS are attracting massive investment and as a result, increasing automation and efficiency.

Expansion of E Commerce – Online marketplaces such as Nykaa, Pepperfry are redefining retail through tech enabled solutions.

Media & Entertainment Tech — Mumbai has a strong media industry, with digital content creators and OTT platforms flourishing in the city.

Innovations Health Tech Platforms like PharmEasy are changing the way people access healthcare services.

Engaging Mumbai’s Startup Investment & Growth Ecosystem

Strong Investor Network

Mumbai is a magnet for high-profile investors, whether venture capitalists, angel investors, or government-oriented funds. Prominent firms such as Sequoia Capital and Accel Partners do just that by investing in promising startups and helping them grow.

Location & Infrastructure

The ideal platform for startups is provided by Mumbai’s prime location, well-connected transport system and an advanced IT infrastructure. Business hubs such as BKC and Powai are abuzz with entrepreneurs making use of high-speed internet, state-of-the-art office spaces and easy access to investors.

Government Support & Incentives

Startup agendas like tax incentives, monetary support, and startup-friendly policies getting announced time to time by the Maharashtra Govt. Regulatory support and funding are also provided through initiatives like the Mumbai Fintech Hub to assist with scaling for fintech startups.

Talent & Innovation Ecosystem

Mumbai boasts a robust academic environment and the opportunity for startups to recruit the best talent. Networking events and accelerator programs foster a collaborative atmosphere, aiding startups in thriving within a competitive market.

Important Startup Events in Mumbai

For startup founders, networking in Mumbai is key to success. the city is home to numerous local events which help establish connections with potential investors and mentors. The best startup events are:

The New Growth Formula: AI and Marketing

D2C Startups Meetup

TechCrunch Global Startup Summit 2025 Mumbai

Unicorns Gather at the Biggest Event of Startups in Mumbai – Startup Valley

They are also platforms for knowledge exchange, fundraising opportunities, and business collaborations.

The Sectors Fueling the Growth of Startups in Mumbai

Across several industries, Mumbai’s startup ecosystem plays an essential role in India’s economic and digital development:

FinTech– Paytm, Razorpay etc. are changing the way we do digital transactions and financial services

E-commerce – Nykaa and Pepperfry startups are changing what we buy and how we shop online.

Media & Entertainment – Creators of digital content such as TVF and Pocket Aces are born in the creative skies of Mumbai.

Health Tech – Companies like PharmEasy make healthcare accessible via technology.

AI & SaaS – Startups in artificial intelligence and SaaS are getting global funding.

Notable Startups from Mumbai

A few Mumbai-based startups that made waves nationally and globally:

Paytm (Fintech)

Dream11 (Fantasy Sports)

Pepperfry (E-commerce)

Nykaa (Beauty & Retail)

UpGrad (Edtech)

Razorpay (Fintech)

These firms are disrupting sectors and adding to India’s digital economy.

Conclusion

Mumbai’s startup ecosystem is vibrant and endowed with resources and ready to accelerate. It offers star-up friendly environment, with the government pushing strong in support, access to the best investors available in the world and a capable/competent workforce. Becoming an entrepreneur, will find Mumbai as the perfect launchpad to innovate and scale their business.

FAQs

What are the key sectors driving the startup growth in Mumbai?

Some of the fastest growing sectors include fintech, e-commerce, AI, health tech and media & entertainment.

Is Mumbai the best city for startups?

Absolutely! Mumbai is also a great place for startups since it provides excellent infrastructure, investor support, and offers the opportunity for networking.

Guide on Funding in Mumbai for Startups

For startups, funding is possible from venture capitalists, angel investors, government grants, and accelerator programs.

What has made Mumbai’s startup ecosystem so robust?

Corporate HQs, skilled labour, invest networks and government initiatives thus create a rapidly growing startup ecosystem.

So, if you are looking for a city to build and scale your startup then Mumbai has it all to help you succeed!

[maria-the-ghoul]

42, 59

42. favourite book(s) All time favorite book: Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

59. why i joined tumblr A friend was here and said it was a place to find cool fanart of lesser known ships/shows, etc.