#but if i put them together id also want to do a third one that tied it together and i havent written that. and i like to do these things

[aesudan-kholin]

debating whether or not to post the latest thing i wrote because it would mean also typing up the lore for it

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Ok this is something I noticed before but the implications didn't really fully click until my... third watch? Plus 2nd manga read. Geez. But anyways

[ID: A screenshot from the 2011 Hunter x Hunter anime. Three Greed Island cards are shown over a blue background; the middle card being slightly bigger in the lineup. From left to right, they are Patch of Shore, Paladin's Necklace, and Blue Planet. End ID.]

At the end of Greed Island, the trio decide to take one card for each of them out of the game. Bisky takes Blue Planet, as was her original goal, but Gon and Killua's cards are the Paladin's Necklace and a transformed Accompany, respectively.

Reflecting their bond, their cards require the presence of the other to be truly useful. The Accompany cannot be taken as is. The Paladin's Necklace does nothing on its own. All of this is so that Gon can meet Ging, which Killua puts his card towards instead of something specifically for him alone (prioritizing Gon as usual), but it's also an Accompany, which is the only means in which they can stay together - their mutual want.

But it goes deeper than that. I wondered about the Accompany being transformed specifically into Patch of Shore before when it could've been any restricted slot card, but there is so much else going on at the end of the arc that my thoughts basically stopped at "well it's an odd card with no clear use" and "it's a card the protagonists spent a good deal of time working towards getting, so it's a recognizable callback to the audience" but oh man.

Gon probably would've been the one to transform that card. His card is the Paladin's Necklace, and that makes Killua's the Accompany. Disguising it as Patch of Shore, where Killua injured his hands, where Gon said that it has to be him, not only makes that card unequivocally Killua's, but also makes me think that this is some quiet way of Gon to show his appreciation for him.

The Accompany is his idea, after all, which says "I want you with me". Transforming it into Patch of Shore though, says "I don’t want to/I can’t do this without you."

[raedas]

where in the locked tomb universe are we?

or: a tentative guide to the solar system in the locked tomb and which houses go where :)

[id: a diagram of the solar system, including pluto, with additional white text overlaid over each body. the sun is labeled dominicus, mercury is labeled the sixth, venus is the seventh, earth is the first, mars is the second, jupiter is the third, saturn is the fifth, uranus is the fourth, neptune is the eight, and pluto is the ninth. /end id]

note: i'm pretty sure people have put together similar analyses before, but i wanted to try my own hand at it! and please feel free to share if you disagree with me on anything & your own evidence and thoughts <3

evidence & analysis under the cut!

THE NINTH HOUSE:

okay, this one is pretty much just a freebie. if you didn't know that the ninth house was on pluto, then, uh... sorry! i'm not going to exhaustively go through all the evidence for this one, but some things that stick out are the cold, gideon's awe at how close the first house is to the sun, and the fact that it's the "ninth" to begin with—the house that wasn't really meant to exist, perfectly in line with the planet that isn't really a planet THE FIRST HOUSE:

this one is given to us just as much, if not moreso, than the ninth. with that in mind, i'm just going to do a quick run through of the evidence that the first house is earth: it's very blue and covered in water, there are ruins of civilization, it's "the first", so on and so forth. home, sweet home :)

THE SIXTH HOUSE:

Then he said, "The sun has stabilized. Hope the Sixth House didn't get cooked in the flare." (Harrow the Ninth, 490)

this line is pretty much the entire selling point for the sixth being on mercury, the closest planet to the sun! (until they run away to the other side of the universe, that is)

THE SEVENTH HOUSE:

There were other planets that made their homelands closer to the burning star of Dominicus--the Seventh and Sixth, for instance--but to Gideon they could not imaginably be anything else than 100 percent on fire. (Gideon the Ninth, 67)

the implication here is fairly obvious: the seventh and sixth are on venus and mercury, or vice versa. thankfully, since we have the sixth squared away as mercury, it's pretty obvious that the seventh is located on venus

BONUS MYTHOLOGY FACT: venus is the roman goddess of beauty! (also known by her greek name, aphrodite). "seven for beauty that blossoms and dies", huh?

THE EIGHTH HOUSE:

"I squeal so long and so loud that they hear me from the Eighth." (Gideon the Ninth, 26)

while this line is obvious hyperbole, to me it implies one of two things: either the eighth is the farthest planet from the ninth, or it's right next to them. and since we know that mercury already has its hands full with sixth house, i think it's safe to assume that the eighth is on neptune, the ninth's next door neighbor :)

THE SECOND HOUSE:

"We went through the same shitty questions of what to do. What about the Mars installation, what about the fusion batteries?" (Nona the Ninth, 74)

john helpfully offers this tidbit to us when he's recounting everything that happened leading up to the apocalypse to harrow. i think it says a lot that there was a mars installation even before the apocalypse properly hit, and it makes sense that said installation would eventually become a proper House, with a capital H

BONUS MYTHOLOGY FACT: mars is the roman god of warfare (known in greek as ares)! looks at the second house and how closely they're associated the cohort... yeah, i think that speaks for itself

THE THIRD & FIFTH HOUSES:

"I thought we'd end up on the Third or the Fifth, or a sweet space station, or something." (Gideon the Ninth, 56)

"We are not becoming an appendix of the Third or Fifth Houses," continued the necromancer opposite." (Gideon the Ninth, 58)

okay, here's this bit where things begin to get a bit hairy. repeatedly throughout the books, we're told about how the third and fifth are the two "big" houses. harrow's scared of them and worried they'll make the ninth one of their appendixes, gideon originally thinks the entire lyctoral meeting will be on one of their planets, so on and so forth. with that in mind, it really isn't that much of a stretch to think they'd be situated on the two giants in our solar system: jupiter and saturn. we'll come back in a moment to sort out which is which!

THE FOURTH HOUSE:

aaaand uranus is the only planet left! congrats, fourth!

THE THIRD & FIFTH HOUSES (again):

"Naturally [Isaac] is Pent's protégé. I hear the Fifth takes special pains with the Fourth... hegemonic pains, some may say." (Gideon the Ninth, 170)

from this quote, as well as the whole of jeannemary & isaac's relationship with magnus & abigail, we can surmise that the fourth house is very close to the fifth house (hegemonic though it may be). it's reasonable that that metaphorical proximity is reflecting (or caused by) something else: physical proximity. with that, i think it's fairly safe to assume that the fifth is on saturn, putting the third on jupiter

DOMINICUS:

aaand finally, the center of the solar system itself! i really, really don't think it needs sharing that dominicus is the sun, as long as you accept that the locked tomb takes place in our own solar system. however, i do think the meaning of dominicus is worth sharing. coming from latin, it translates roughly to "lordly", "belonging to god", or "of the master." very subtle, john, very subtle.

[adventuringblind]

If you’re still taking requests, can you please write a wolff!reader x charles leclerc fic? And they’re secretly engaged and in love and toto finds out and he doesn’t want them together and tries to break them up. Maybe they break up for toto and then he sees how sad they are w/o each other and how happy they were together? Angst to fluff and happy ending please 😭💕💕 Tysmmm i love your work sm

Romeo and Juliet

Charles Leclerc X Wolff!Reader

Genre: ANGST lots of it but a happy fluffy ending

Request: yes, and forbidden love? Yes please! Sorry if this is darker then you were thinking… I got a little carried away 😅. I am open for requests! Mainly for Max, Charles, Oscar, Lando, Daniel, and George.

Summary: Reader and Charles are in love. Unfortunately for them, Toto is determined to keep them apart.

Warnings: Angry Toto, sad reader, Charles trying to problem solve. MENTIONS OF SH but not description of it, MENTIONS OF SUICIDAL IDEATION but again nothing descriptive, bullying and toxic media.

Notes: written in third person. Please like, comment, and reblog. I like to hear from y'all. It makes me feel like a celebrity 🥹.

Also, I've sent up my account to let tips be enabled. I was debating whether or not to say this because i dont want to sound like im begging, but frankly, people opinions do not matter me me. If you like my writing and want to support me, please consider tipping my posts or my blog. I put a lot of effort into my writing, and it would mean the world to me. Obviously, I won't have my feelings hurt if you ignor this, but I wanted to put it out there.

Masterlist

She’d never been quite sure how it happened. How she managed to find her soulmate. The two are meant for each other. The only downside is that she is living a Romeo and Juliet parody.

Being a Wolff meant spending majority of her time around the race track or at the factory. From the time she was little, she was following her dad around.

Toto never had any hard and fast rules regarding being friends with people from other teams. He couldn’t stop her from being friends with those she spent majority of her time around. He did, however, have rules about dating. Mainly not to date a driver and if she was then he would allow a Mercedes driver.

So her options were Lewis and George. She liked both, but not in any romantic way. They are her brothers. She annoys them and them tease her and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Her and Charles had been friends since he first started with AlfaRomeo. The two clicked instantly and talked constantly. She was the first person he looked for after a good race or a bad one. He was her everything and she was his.

Four years later they started dating. Secretly, of course, because she didn’t want her dad smashing anymore headphones. They made it work and were willing to do what it took.

It helped that she already lived in Monaco since that’s where majority of her friends lived. It made sense why they would ‘run into each other’ so often since they live in a small place.

George found out by accident right before a race. He’d found her phone in the ground. It had fallen out of her pocket and she’d not noticed. When she had noted it’s disappearance, she tried to locate it by calling it with Charles phone.

George took one look at the caller ID and knew. The less then friendly contact name, mix of heart emoji’s, and Charles contact photo gave it away. He answered anyways. If Charles knew where she was then at least he could give her phone back.

“Hello, this is George.” He only got silence in return. “Hello…?”

“Please tell me you didn’t see the called name.” Came her voice from the other end. The desperation in your voice making him chuckle. He was never going to let her live this down.

“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. Now can you please come get your phone.”

The two lovebirds were able to make more things work after. Being able to have George cover form them helped immensely. Dates became more frequent. Places they wouldn’t normally go were suddenly a possibility.

Lewis caught on eventually. He saw right past the sheepish smiles of George and Y/N. While she was sneaking back in the garage through George’s driver room.

Between George and Lewis the teasing only escalated, but the two of them were the best possible wingmen she could have asked for. They managed to distract her father away when she was cutting things close.

It didn’t last forever though. The ending of Romeo and Juliet isn’t a happy one.

Someone had managed to take a picture of them kissing. It was a cute picture. Charles kissing her on what was supposed to be a private beach during the sunset. A picture that she woke up to circling the medial faster that the cars on race day.

Charles woke up to her rapid breathing. Her phone lighting up the dark room with constant notifications. Charles wrapped his arms around her. “It’s alright amour. We’ll figure this out on day at a time.

Things were weird after that. She clung to Charles as she was ripped to shred by the media, the fans, and her father.

She was being called a traitor to her fathers team. Her father had labeled her disrespectful. It was an utter nightmare.

The two Mercedes boys stood protectively behind her. Toto’s voice getting louder by the second. She was still sitting in the chair opposite his. Her eyes downcast to the lightly colored desk.

“I don’t understand why you chose him. A rival team! How do I know your not telling him everything about our operations?” Toto’s voice was laced with venom. This arms waving around to exaggerate his point.

“Because I love him. And I would never do that to you.” She wanted to stay strong, but the tears were threatening to spill over.

“I don’t want to see you back here until you two are broken up.” He turned his back to her.

She quickly exited, George following close behind her. Lewis remained in the office.

“I think you’re being too hard on her.” Lewis pointed out. Still leaning in the wall close to the door. His arms crossed over his chest, staring at the team principal he holds immense respect for.

“Aren’t you concerned at all?”

“No, she loves her family to much to do anything like that.” Then he left. Finding the girl he considered his sister clinging to George’s shirt.

Both of them had seen the comments. Both had been asked about it during interviews. Both had told their fans to leave her alone. It hurt both of them to see how people were treating her. The names they felt no remorse for spewing. It made them sick.

Charles’ fans were not any better. He hated seeing them tell her nasty things. Spreading rumors they knew nothing about.

He’d tried reassuring her constantly that she is his everything, but he knew she was losing her family. The last thing he wanted to happen. He wanted to protect her from this. Guilt wracking his body because he felt powerless to do anything.

When he found her that day, sobs wracking her body as she went to find him, he knew how he could help her. The last option either of them wanted.

“I love you so much.” He said, cupping her cheek gently, letting the tears roll down his cheeks and attempting to wipe away hers. “But I don’t want you to lose your family because of me.”

Charles called George that day to tell him want he was going to do. George having understood his actions and promised to be there for her. So when the broken girl showed up at his house that night, eyes red and puffy, he’d already been ready for her. Carmen making sure that she had extra clothes for her in case she ended up staying awhile.

Charles’ next stop was to see Toto. The older man hardly sparing him a glance as he walked into the office. “I’m sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused you.” He started. Toto still faced the wall, refusing to look at him. Something Charles was grateful for. “Me and your daughter have parted ways. So, I’ll hope you’ll allow her to stay with her family. Neither of us wanted things to happen this way. But I’d rather lose her then watch her lose everything she’s grown up with and worked for.”

Charles waited a moment to see if he’d get a response before turning around and ducking out of the office.

He stayed with Pierre that night. Broken and defeated. His heart heavy with the sadness and longing to be with the woman he loved so dearly.

The media didn’t stop though. The news around them still trending. People still feeling the need to voice their disgusting comments.

Toto had tried to connect with his daughter, but received no response. In fact, nobody had. She hadn’t been to a race in months. Both George and Lewis had tried calling and texting her only to receive nothing in return. She hadn’t even read their messages.

Charles was hurting as well. He didn’t want to cause her anymore pain. So he distanced himself from everything that related to her. Carlos and Pierre had been watching his behavior. His head clearly not in a good place mentally. They were running out of ideas in how to help him.

Lewis was the one who caved first. He’d given her enough space, now it was time to invade it. He dragged George with him to her apartment in Monaco one morning. Determined to see proof that she was at least breathing.

When they got no answer, they searched for the spare key. The one she hid in the light above her front door. Relief flooding them both as George managed to locate it.

When they finally got the door open, they were greeted with the dark apartment. It looked like no one lived there. The fridge was empty and the cupboards almost mirrored it, aside from the open box of your favorite cereal.

There was broken glass along the counters and floor. Pictures had been taken off the walls. A few empty bottles of alcohol lay strewn along flat surfaces.

The woman they’d been looking for was wrapped in a blanket on the couch. Her chest slowly rising and falling.

George went to gently try and pull her from her sleep without scaring her.

Lewis on the other hand, went to investigate the rest of the rooms. Terrified at what he’d discovered.

He lightly jogged back to George, who didn’t want to pull her from her peaceful slumber, and tapped his shoulder. Motioning for the younger Brit to follow him.

Their first stop was the bedroom. Everything that reminded her of Charles had been stripped away. leaving only the mattress in the center of the room. The long mirror hanging next to the closet had been shattered. The glass that had fallen out of it scattered around the base word they’d seen people calling her written in thick black marker now divided by cracks.

Next, Lewis led them to the bathroom. The sight of it making George want to vomit. The bathroom mirror had also been cracked. Towels stained red line the countertop. Pills litter the bathroom floor. And the knife she’d been gifted by her father for her 18th birthday lay on the edge of the sink. 

Who is obviously what had happened here recently.

George who was struggling to look at the scene went back to trying to coax the woman, his sister, out of her slumber. Lewis making an attempt to at lease get the area safe. Their hearts hurt for her. They knew she was hurting but neither knew it had gotten so bad.

Charles was her soulmate. Both her and Charles knew it. They had envisioned their life together. A life that she saw every time she closed her eyes.

She tried to separate herself from his memory. Tried to distract herself. But she couldn’t get her mind away from him. How he made her smile. How he listened even to the pettiest things she complained about. She wanted that back.

If her family didn’t want her for it and Charles couldn’t stand to see her hurting, then she would get back there on her own.

If their story was like Romeo and Juliet’s, why shouldn’t it end in tragedy as well?

But their story keeps going. Because they are meant for each other. So they will find away even if they don’t know it yet.

The gentle touches of Charles ghosted over her bare arms. Her mind trying to hold into the feeling even if he wasn’t here.

She cracked her eyes open to the dark room. Her body revolting as she tries to sit up. Her dehydration finally getting to her. Her head pounding from last night events.

She’s had a few episodes like this and knows she needs to get help. She doesn’t know where to start though.

She hadn’t really eaten much the last sixth months. Even food reminded her of him. How was she ever going to move in at this rate?

Then she noticed the sounds of breathing beside her. The familiar face of George greeting her, though his eyes are sad.

She immediately sits up. The horrible scene that is her apartment now clearly seen by one of the last people she wanted to know she’d sunk this far.

“George?” Her voice merely a quiet rasp.

“It’s okay now, we’re gonna help you. Okay?” His voice cracked. The male is clear distress.

Lewis came around the corner upon hearing voices. Relieved that she’d woken up. “I think we need to talk.”

~

Charles hadn’t been staying at his apartment. He knew he wasn’t in a good place mentally, so he went back home. His mother welcomed him with open arms, sad to hear the news of the two splitting.

He’d talked to Lewis and George about her during race weekends. Their lack of knowledge causing his concern to grow more with each passing week.

He’d tried for sixth months to force himself to move on but he knew it was in vain. She was made for him and he belonged to her. How was he supposed to move on from that?

Pascale had struggled watching her middle child. He struggled to eat, struggled to sleep, to the point it was affecting his performance.

“You should talk to her.” She suggested.

“I’ll only hurt her more.”

“I’ve been looking in social media for her. The things people are saying is terrible.” She sighs, the situation itself only getting worse. “She needs you.”

~

Toto knew he messed up. As soon as he’d made her choose, he knew. Only to have it confirmed when he heard the waver in Charles voice. When he didn’t see his daughter for moths. As he watched Charles performance fall.

He’d tried to contact her. Susie had encouraged him to call her the night everything happened. He’d received no response for sixth months. He’d asked Lewis about her only to be met with his sigh and sad eyes.

It’s like she disappeared from the planet. Everyone worried about her. But they collectively decided that maybe she needed space.

He knew she and Charles were happy together. He’d seen how big her smile was when she was with him. Even when he thought they were just friends. The two of them had been contagiously happy.

~

The next race came around quickly. At least for Charles that’s how it felt as he strode to the Mercedes paddock.

He spotted Lewis and George and weaved his way towards them. Everyone trying to get one roared for the weekend. Exactly what he should be doing.

“Charles! Listen mate-“ George had started. But Charles cut him off with the urgent need to speak with Toto before he could get in his head. “I need Toto. I need to see her again.” He was ready to break.

“He’s in his office.”

Charles didn’t waist any time making his way there. The older man a bit startled at the sudden appearance. “I love your daughter. I am begging you to not make her choose.” He was pleading but he didn’t care.

“I’m sorry.” Toto looked pained. Charles is taken off guard by it. His reaction the last thing the monegasque was expecting. “I should have never made her choose. She was happy with you. So when you go get her back, tell her I’m sorry and that I want her to come home.”

Charles fumbled around with his words. Gesturing wildly with his hands but for some reason his voice was stuck in his throat. Eventually he just nodded his head, attempting to get across his thanks.

Lewis and George were still talking. So he did the only logical thing and tackled then both in a hug. “I need to know where she is. He’s not going to make her choose.” The smile on his face so big it might fall off. “Please tell me where she’s been staying.”

Lewis and George shared a look. One that didn’t go unnoticed. “We need to talk.”

~

They’d told him about her state. About what she’d been going through. How they found her that morning, alone and so far into her head they didn’t know if she was going to come out.

His heart shattered listening to them. The two were connected deeper then anything he could’ve imagined. He’s upset that he didn’t get the courage to fight for her sooner.

She’d been spending her time since they found her with either if the boys. Neither wanted to leave her alone after that. So they made sure she wasn’t alone after that.

Her apartment was still mildly wrecked but they weren’t worried about it. They just wanted to get her out of her head.

Now he had a chance. They had brought her with them. She didn’t want to come to the track so she was back at the hotel. Tucked away from the world.

Now Charles was speeding to her location. Lewis’ key card in hand. Determination filling his veins. He needed to see her, desperately. His heart ached the last six months. He didn’t want to never see her again. Charles loved her with his entire being.

The trip was a blur for him. Not even realizing he was at the door until he had no more steps left to take.

He decided to knock first. He wanted to be respectful. He’d use the key as his last resort.

He got nervous when the handle turned. What was he going to say? He didn’t have time to think about it as the door swung open. Revealing the love of his life. Still as beautiful as when he last saw her. Though his heart dropped at the sight.

Bags under eyes, her body smaller then he remembered. Then there was the white bandages running up her arms. She was wearing a tank top and sweats, obviously not expecting him to show up.

They stared at each other for a moment. Then the tears started. She was in his arms in a second. Clutching him like he would disappear if she let go.

He breathed her in. “I’m here, I got you, and I’m never letting you go again.”

[clockwayswrites]

I saw that you had some very in depth organization methods when planning your fics. I am working on one now and realized how much I need something like that. Could you give an explanation and tips on how you organize your ideas?

Oh, sure! I can try my best.

For me, the desire to actually write it usually comes with a scene (or few scenes) I need to bring into existence. I don't care if it's the first scene or last or in the middle, I let myself write it! I know some people don't like writing out of order because they feel it's a 'waste' if they have to change it when they get there, but for me it's never a waste because it helped me find a mood!

I put those scenes down and then try to build a fic around them. If it's a short fic (>15K) I just start working. Medium to long I outline! I like to write the scenes I have and want out on cut up post it notes and this allows me to physically move things around, find the plot gaps, and write down the scene that I wan to go there!

(image id: post it notes cut into thirds with a scene summary written on each one. Some are grouped together as chapters and there are holes where I feel there needs to be more).

3. I take each of those scenes and make a placeholder file in my writing program! I use Scrivener so this is really easy to do because they have an outline function. Before I used scrivener, I would write them out in a doc and then also copy and past it around the parts I had written.

In Scrivener, I can also color code them and/or use the status to say if it's started, written, edited, etc! You could do this in another program by highlighting the outline different colors.

4. As you are writing, remember your outline might change! You might have scenes that no longer work (Ex lbfd I had a whole Tim & Danny bonding bit where Danny revealed he knew about the Bats I cut cause it seemed clunky) or you might need to add bits for a better flow! (Ex one chapter of lbfd split into three, but then other things got cut). And this is okay! Some things you can't know until it's written.

The more you do this the better you'll get! My first big fic (150+K) doubled in chapters and tripled in length! I needed a lot more time on the slow parts than I thought and added some things based on reader comments. For lbfd, even though things changed, chapter 22(?) was still chapter 22 when I got to it!

Hopefully this helps!

[neopronouns-in-action]

So can we start calling this the progress trans flag and using this, or is that too radical a concept for people in 2023?

[ID: A version of the progress trans flag with eight horizontal stripes of: purple, black, blue, pink, white, yellow, black, and brown. In the center are concentric circles of black, dark purple, and gold. End ID.]

Explicitly include nonbinary and intersex people in the trans pride flag. Not just “including nonbinary people” as a single single white stripe for people with “neutral” genders that 99% of people don’t even know is for nonbinary people, and instead think is there to represent transitioning.

If you want support nonbinary people, one small step is to explicitly include us in the trans pride flag, and not just by lumping all of us together into a single “neutral” category that seems like it’s only there to separate the pink and blue stripes.

I’m tired of binary people, both cis and trans, promoting exorsexism and erasing and speaking over nonbinary people. If the pride flag can change to explicitly include and support trans people and people of color, then the trans flag can change too.

Being trans is not just for binary men and women. It’s not just for perisex people or white people. It’s 2023. How about we put the most erased parts of our community front and center in the trans community, and how about the rest of the trans community be proud to fight with us?

There are three main versions of this flag, with the most simplified version up top.

Symmetrical version:

[ID: Three versions of the trans progress pride flag, both with symetrical horizontal stripes of purple, black, blue, pink, yellow, white, yellow, pink, blue, black, and purple. The first version includes a brown sideways chevron, followed by a gold triangle of the intersex flag, with the dark purple circle in the center. The second version has a brown diamond in the center, with concentric circles of black, dark purple, and gold inside it. The third version has only the stripes. End ID.]

The white and yellow stripe on this six-striped version are reversed so that the white stripe, like the black, is easy to see against all background colors.

[ID: Two versions of the six-striped version of the trans progress pride flag, with stripes of purple, black, blue, pink, white, and yellow. The first version includes a brown sideways chevron, followed by a gold triangle of the intersex flag, with the purple circle in the center. The second version has a brown diamond in the center, with concentric circles of black, dark purple, and gold inside it. The third version has only the stripes. End ID.]

Here is the web archive link where you can download the HD versions of these flags, including the symbols:

“https://archive.org/details/progress-trans-flag”

Do not add images to this post unless they include a plain text image description in the body of the post directly below the image.

ALT text is not accessible for everyone who needs an image description. Plain text image descriptions are the most accessible option. That’s why I used an image description and not ALT text.

Please also do not suggest replacements or variations of this flag that leave out the black, white, purple, or yellow. They were all chosen for a reason. You can add other colors if you want, but removing the purple, yellow, black, or white is just as egregious as removing the blue or pink would be.

The black, white, yellow, and purple all represent forms of identity outside the binary. Combining the black and white into grey erases so many people and completely misunderstands the purpose of those stripes.

These are the baseline colors for the flag, you can customize them via less saturation, darkness, ect, when making art or using it for your own purposes. You do not need to color pick directly from this flag any time you use it.

Edit 12/10/23: go read this post too.

[joelletwo]

[ID in alt]

okay so you know when you meet your ex after shedding the previous bounding roles you knew each other in and now there are no barriers to getting back together except the remaining social taboo and youre surrounded by people acutely aware of the social taboo waiting to see what you'll do but also you decide you want to have the most chemistry theres ever been. yeah?

(matoba quits his job timeline but still comes to occasional meetings to keep everyone on their toes. and to make them watch him flirt with a natori who suddenly lacks a reason to ignore him)

[the referenced DS9 clip: 1:30-2:30 timestamp]

okay so imagine i saw this scene again and thought haha yeah exorcist redraw. but thats a beautiful dress how can i make that work on matoba. and then fully drew out three alternate outfit sets bc i was unable to settle on timeline lore for this until the last second.

i only didnt make this the settled version bc i couldnt think of how to get openly kuromisa matoba at an exorcist meeting it just seemed excessively indulgent lol. but pretty

and i didnt go with this one bc i didnt want to draw suits a third and fourth time lol. but more elevated formal exorcist gathering/maybe a celebrity shindig matoba's also connected to and they ran into each other? but plus they wouldnt care about these two flirting

just didnt want natori to be dressed boring next to this but couldnt think of what to put him in or what the occasion would be lol

[ravewing]

honestly after rereading arc 2 ive realized that ive come to like the idea of qinter than the actual canon version of it.

like at the end of the day ive been a qinter fan since i was in third grade so of course im going to be biased towards it and itll always hold a special place in my heart but i must say that a lot of their canon interactions were just qibli making jabs at winter to a point where it sort of seemed like he didn't like it anymore?? if that makes sense?? dont get me wrong i love the sunshine x grumpy dynamic but with them idk.

i cant lie i feel like the entire jade winglet completely cut winter off and they were always against him even though literally he was completely justified in pretty much everything he did?? like im sorry but him going to save hailstorm (HIS BROTHER THAT HE THOUGHT WAS DEAD FOR YEARS) rather than going to look for the ancient nightwing who has killed hundreds of his tribe was perfectly reasonable. the vase scene was completely reasonable (could you imagine YOUR best friends defending the man who put you under a spell and wanted to commit genocide on your people and wipe them out entirely?? id be pissed as hell). to an extent, winter being suspicious about moon and the cave explosion was reasonable (i do agree that he came off as very aggressive in that, but at the same time you have to see things from his point of view. how WOULD she have known about the bomb?? not to mention how hes been conditioned and indoctrinated to distrust nightwings).

i feel like qibli especially comes at winter for these things and tells him that hes wrong for it and that hes being toxic even though hes LITERALLY NOT. and the whole thing with him saying that if he had animus magic that he would change winter's personality always rubbed me the wrong way. i feel like toxic is too strong of a word but i dont think that theyd be necessarily healthy together, not until theyve matured a little more and have found better ways to cope with their past traumas instead of repressing it and putting on this charming guy who makes jabs at people persona or taking it out on other people through anger and frustration.

in all honesty i feel like tui shouldve gone with moon not making a choice in the qibli/winter/moon love triangle to sort of show that you dont need to be with someone to be happy and that its okay to stay as just friends– icl, thats how i thought that it was going to end when i first read arc 2. i feel as though moonbli was a little rushed, and i do like the idea of winterwatcher (just like i do with qinter) but i dont think that he's emotionally ready for a relationship. also this is unrelated but when initially reading book 6 i thought that moon was going to end up with turtle; ive always thought that theyd be cute together lol.

im thinking about it now and i really like the idea of turtle and winter but i cant for the life of me remember if theyve ever had any one on one interactions. if theres anything please can someone send in reblogs ..

im getting off topic now so tldr i like the version of qinter that exists in my head but i feel like they shouldnt be together in canon, not at least until they sort out their own issues.

[selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs]

Surprise

Self-Aware! Nikolai Gogol x GN! Reader

Description: BSD! Nikolai Gogol is interested in the 'real-world' Nikolai Gogol. One day, he said he need your help.

Set after BSD gang got into the real world.

Fluff.

Warning: OOC, English is my second language.

Sequel to Shopping trip (What is cosplay?)

You are sure in three things. First, Earth is round. Second, gravity is a cruel force. Third, among your new friends/roommates/family members, Nikolai Gogol is the one, who is most interested in his real world counterpart.

Ever since BSD gang got into your world, Gogol has been searching for bits and pieces of information about your world's Nikolai Gogol. Well, to be fair, everyone has been looking for any info about their real world counterparts. But Nikolai was doing it more often than others.

 According to Fyodor, Gogol has started his search back in the app, when they only gained access to the Internet from your world. What was the reason for Gogol's interest? His answer was 'Simple curiosity'.

_____________________________

"[Y/N]! Birdy! I need your help!"

 Gogol almost barked in your ear.

You made an inarticulate sound, then dropped the box of cookies (you got them for Sigma) from your hands, spun in place and stared at Nikolai. You were breathing heavily, he scared you. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed the familiar golden glow of The Overcoat. In just one moment, the box of cookies was in Gogol's hands. He looked pleased with your reaction.

You glare at Gogol. You almost growl.

"Kolya! Did you really need to scare me like this?"

Ok, to be fair, white-haired male looked a little bit apologetic.

"Sorry, didn't mean to," In a second his expression become amused. "But, I must say, your reaction was priceless. Are you always reacting like this when you are scared? Maybe, we should watch horror film together?"

Gogol grinned and leaned closer to you. You looked at him with an expressionless look and booped his nose. 

Gogol wrinkled his nose, let out a chuckle and, after using "The Overcoat" again, put the box of cookies on the kitchen table. 

"Fine, will try not to scare you next time. But I really need your help."

Still a little bit grumpy, you raised an eyebrow.

"With what exactly?"

Nikolai scratched the back of his head and, a little embarrassed, muttered. 

"It's my turn to go to the mall. Can you please go with me? I still not very fond of the place after my last shopping trip."

Okay, you weren't petty, no, but you can't miss this opportunity.

"I told you to wear a disguise! And what did you say?" you tried your best in imitating Gogol's voice. "I want the rest of the free world to accept free me! My clothes also part of my freedom."

_________________________

It's been three months since BSD gang got into your world. During this three months, BSD gang were exploring your world. By exploring, they mean they were going with you on shopping trips, to the cinema, to the park and so on. Thankfully, Fitzgerald, somehow, manage to "move" his money from the app world to yours. And BSD Gang were in the process of creating ID's and other documents, so they can blend into your world society. Most of the characters already has it covered. They tried to find a job. Fitzgerald was one of the "prepared characters". And he brought a new house. Large enough to contain all of you. As he promised. So, at least, you shouldn't worry about money problems.

Two months ago, Gogol said, that he wanted to go with you to the mall. It wasn't the problem. But Gogol, who decide to go to the mall in his normal attire, was The Problem. You tried to convince him to change his clothes, to disguise himself. He didn't listen.

What should be a simple shopping trip to the mall became a "Take a Photo with a Cool Cosplayer" thing. Many people wanted to take a photo with Gogol. Some people called him a freak. One 'Karen' hit Gogol with her shopping bag, for been a 'satanist, who watched Chinese porn cartoons' and useless member of society'. At the end, you and Gogol go back home. The day was ruined. Since then, Gogol refused to go to the mall.

___________________________

Gogol glared at you, but, you have already known him good enough, not to be afraid of his glare. Nikolai huffed, but nodded, agreeing with you.

"Yes, I know. I should have listened to you. So... Will you go with me?"

You nodded. It's not like you have something to do. And, besides, you loved spending time with BSD gang. 

Nikolai grinned and clasped your palms in his. His hands were warm, you can feel it even though the gloves.

"Thanks, [Y/N], give me a moment to disguise myself."

Gogol let go of your hands and quickly went to his room.

______________________

You were waiting for Gogol near the front door. Soon he appeared. Instead of his normal clothes, he was wearing a simple brown coat, white shirt and black pants. His hair was still white, but, with a few hairpins, he made it look shorter. His scar was also covered. Gogol looked at you, like he was asking, 'How do I look?' You give him a thumbs up. Nikolai grinned. You take your backpack, Gogol takes some shopping bags and both of you left the house.

The walk to the mall was pleasant. Kolya and you were talking about many different things. Mostly, about your world. And Gogol wanting to be a performer.

"Kolya, I do know, that with your ability you can make a magic trick with sewing person in half more... interesting, but, I don't think the audience will like it." 

Gogol playfully pocked your cheek.

"Come on, Birdy, don't be a killjoy!"

"I am not been a killjoy, I just don't think that it will be suitable for a magical show for kids!" you looked at Nikolai. He gazed archly at you. Realizing your mistake, you cover your face with your hand. "You are messing with me, aren't you?"

Gogol leaned closer, you can feel his warm breath on your ear.  "What give you this idea, [Y/N]?" 

You blushed and start walking faster. You still heard Gogol's quiet laugh. 

______________________________

When you reach the mall, Gogol turned towards you and asked.

"Hey, [Y/N], is it okay, if I buy something in other shop before we go in food supermarket?"

You nodded and wanted to follow him, but Gogol put a hand on your shoulder. 

"Sorry, but I want to go by my own. Please, wait for me."

He didn't wait for your answer, and disappeared from your sight. You signed and looked around. You noticed a bookstore near you. You decide to take a look. 

You were simply looking at the bookshelf, when you noticed a familiar name.

Nikolai Gogol. "The Overcoat. Petersburg Tales"

You take a book from the shelf and open it. There were six novels by Nikolai Gogol. After thinking about it, you decide to purchase the book. Nikolai was interested in his prototype. Maybe, he would be interested in reading his works.

You manage to buy a book, hide it in your backpack and return to your meeting spot right before Gogol return. He was holding a full shopping bag. 

"Have you bought everything you want?" you asked. Gogol nodded.

"Yes. Well, let's go and get groceries."

_________________________

Day was pleasant. You two got groceries and grab a bite in the Food Court. You were enjoying yourself. Gogol was a nice enough company.

You got back home in the evening. After putting grosseris to the refrigerator, you take a book you have bought earlier. You called.

"Kolya?"

Nikolai hummed, looking at you. You handed him a book.

"Here, for you."

Gogol takes the book from you. His grin became bigger. He quickly put the book away. One moment later, he crashed you in his embrace. He was warm. You feel his breath on the top of your head.

"Thank you, Birdy, I appreciate it."

You gently pet his back.

_________________________________

A few days have passed since your trip to the mall. All this time Gogol was distant. He spent most of his time in his room. 

You tried to invite him to go for a walk with Kouyou and you, but he refused. He said, he has something important to do.

After a few more days, Gogol approach you himself. He was holding a gift box in his hand.

Gogol wink and give the box to you.

"There, for you."

You opened it. There was a scarf inside. You carefully take it from the box. Scarf was soft. It seems, he was handmade. Gogol's voice was calm and soft.

"I learned that Gogol from this world liked needlework. So, I sewed this scarf myself. Bought the materials when we were in the mall. By the way, tonight's dinner is also made by me. This world's Gogol loved and can cook. I made dumplings."

You smile and hugged Gogol. You whisper.

 "Thank you, Kolya"

 Gogol smiles.

 "You are welcome, Birdy."

After a moment of silence, you asked.

"Hey, Kolya, want to read the book I gave you earlier together? After dinner, in your room?"

Gogol's eyes shine with happiness:

"Will be glad to do it, [Y/N]."

 ____________________

 

After the dinner, Gogol and you went to his room. Together, you were reading the book you gifted Gogol. You were holding a book in your hands. You were sitting on Gogol's lap, with your back pressed against his chest. Kolya laid his head on your shoulder. He read aloud. The scarf he gave you was tied around your neck. You snuggle closer to Nikolai. You feel happy. 

____________________

A/N: "Petersburg Tales" - name for a six Gogol novels. The main idea of this novels - 'small person'. The novels are "The Nose", "Nevsky Prospect", "The Overcoat", "Diary of Madman", "The Carriage" and "The Portrait".

The facts about Gogol are true. Nikolai Vasilyevich loved niddlework. He made scarfs for himself and dresses for his sisters. He also loved treating his friends with homemade cooking. Dumplings were one of the best Gogol's dishes.

[averagewriter777]

Ghost and Doc (Simon "Ghost" Riley x F!Reader)

Masterlist

(Part One)

It took a lot to get where you are today. And most of the time, or ninety percent of the time, you in your profession were not taken seriously. It wasn’t that you were bad at your job- no, you were praised by your higher-ups… it was because of your gender. God forbid a woman was on the field as a Special Forces Medical Sergeant.

You remembered in 2013 when the military opened up the Special Forces to women. At the time, a maroon beret rested on your head. When the news spread throughout the bases, you were quick to go to your commander and demand to be put on that force. At first, your commander laughed, but when you waved the newspaper in his face, his face fell and he said he’d talk to one of the Sergeant Majors of one of the groups.

Several things were looked over before you were accepted: Your ASVAB score as a general technician and in combat, your certifications… and to put you in the right group, the Sergeant Major of the Army (in the fort you were at) had you test your skills with other members of the group. It was done through airsoft and on a wrestling mat. You won some and you lost some.

“For now, we lack medical personnel in the group I want you in. Would you be opposed to being a medic, corporal?” You snapped your feet together and saluted in response. The Master Sergeant laughed while the Sergeant Major shook his head.

Now, nine years later… you hold the title of a Medical Sergeant and have been out on the field several times. Unfortunately, your ‘feminism’ wasn’t always welcome on the field- but your medical skills and your handling of a weapon sure as hell was. As far as anyone on Fort Bragg was concerned, you were the best at what you did.

It was early in the year when everyone in the force got a letter in the mail, saying that a special task force would be coming to the states. Nothing else was stated in the letter, probably for confidentiality. Which was fine and understandable, but that also meant this was going to be serious…

When you went through the gate, the men who were scanning people’s IDs seemed to be more on their feet than usual. Usually, it was like this when important people would come through like the president did one time. When you asked what was going on, the private who scanned your card went: “No idea, Sergeant. I know that we need to be on our feet this week.”

Weird.

“Morning, Master Sergeant,” you greeted your superior when you got to your team building. The man nodded back towards you and set down the papers he’d been reading, sighing loudly. “Everything alright, sir?”

His fists moved under his chin and he looked at you gravely. “Take a seat, Sergeant (L/n).” Last name basis, that didn’t sound too good… “This morning, this base has had the opportunity of coming face-to-face with a task group called the 141. These soldiers are a mix of Special Forces men from around the world, the best of the best you can call it.” You folded your hands together in your lap and pursed your lips. “They went to every group here in the Special Forces unit, looking for a medic and trained personnel to join their team. Although you were not present at 0600, they looked through your file and found you’re the best fit for their team.”

What? “S-Sir?”

“Sergeant (L/n), the 141 are the best of the best, I cannot stress that enough.” Master Sergeant Ford stood from his seat and put his hands behind his back. “You’ll be in good hands with them, I can assure you that. As of right now, they’re at the Northpost Main Exchange. They said they’d be back by 10:00, so you’ve got two hours to prepare and pack.”

Well, there went everything you were going to do this morning. Lots of paperwork was on your desk, and you were going to join the rest of third group for a workout later in the afternoon… That wasn’t going to happen anymore. Shit.

As per usual, you gave a salute to your Master Sergeant, then left the room to head over to the apartments on post. The only reason you’d come through the gate this morning was that you went off base to get yourself a good breakfast and coffee. It was just cheaper to live on base… and Fayetteville is… it’s Fayetteville.

Your home is connected to another family’s home. Half was yours and the other half was theirs. Two stories, two bedrooms- the second bedroom you used as a stay-at-home office… or sometimes gaming room, and one bathroom. The people next to you used the second bedroom for their baby.

Your duffel bag was already packed, with the necessities at least. You had a few versions of your uniform in one of the bags, along with some toiletries. In the other bags, you went into a closet that was in your office and put your M4A1, FAMAS, and an old revolver that had been passed down. Your medical supplies also went into that bag.

A burner phone that was only used on deployments went into your bag also, along with an old iPad. You had a family outside of all of this, a divorced husband and a daughter… You did all you could during deployments to call them. (He has custody for safety reasons and mostly because you’re never home) Before you set off to head back to your group’s building, you decided to call your ex-husband.

“(Y/n)? You alright?” He sounded groggy on the other line, probably sick or just waking up. You felt kind of bad now, no matter…

You cleared your throat and then sighed. “I’m uh… I’m deploying.” You heard the sound of sheets rustling, a woman on the other line asking what was wrong, then heavy footsteps. “Just wondering if I could say bye to Kennedy. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone or when I can call… I’m being put on a new team.”

Shawn, your ex-husband, put you on speaker. “You’re being put on a new team and deploying? Jesus Christ- did you just figure it out this morning?” He was most likely standing right outside your daughter’s door. You grunted in response, which meant ‘yes’. “Alright… I only assume you have a few minutes?”

He was right. You looked down at your watch, the time reading 9:20. “Yeah, just a few, then I’ve got to get on the road.” Your phone got a notification for FaceTime, when you accepted, you looked away until you heard your little girl say ‘Mommy?’ quietly. “Hey, sunshine! Mommy just wanted to call and say she won’t be home for a while. But I’ll call when I can, okay?”

You noticed the visible disappointment that crossed your daughter’s features. Her brown eyes fell to the floor as tears began to well up in her eyes. “A-Again, mommy?” Your hand fell upon your chest at the heartbreak in her voice, you nodded and tried to keep your tears back. “W-Well… b-be… safe…”

“I will be, sunshine. Behave for your daddy and Kiria, okay?” You kissed where the camera was, which your daughter did in return. “I love you, sweetheart, and I’ll call when I can.” The phone was given back to Shawn, who was rubbing his eyes. “Take extra safety precautions while I’m gone, please. Only the Lord knows how different this team will be.”

Shawn mock-saluted you. “Be safe out there, wherever the hell you’re going.” Then he ended the call just as his girlfriend, Kiria, walked into the room, asking who he was talking to. Typical.

(Part Two)

[asexualzoro]

it's december 9th, meaning today is my 23rd birthday (which is my favorite number!), which means it's time for...

Lew Writes Wrapped 2023!!!

im including anything that happened after my last bday, so we have some works from december as well. this one's a bit of a weird one for the total word count, you'll see why

it's all treebark from my sideblog / alt ao3. i cannot change. i will not change. for these im just gonna specify the relationship that's the main focus bc thats easier than fandom bc all but like one are third life

dandelion wishing

(Dec, 2.4k, treebark, oneshot) (link)

op movie 6 au for dogwarts in which Martyn is the baron and Ren doesn't know he's dead

id actually plotted out a whole third life au for this movie like months prior and really wanted to write it, so i took it for treebark week and focused it just on these two. it's my fave movie of all time and i obvs had to give it to my fave completely dead team <3

i will admit tho. it did make me back search martyns twitter to see if hes ever posted abt watching this movie. bc i know he likes One Piece and i realized this would bring me into the danger zone (he hasnt ever posted abt it if hes seen it)

A Romance Route for the Doomed Villain?!?

(Dec, 5k, treebark, oneshot) (link)

treebark dating sim isekai parody that spiraled out of my control made in a day-long possession

im still baffled by this one. why was the response to this one so insane?? there was smth in the water the day i posted this bro. a 1:2 kudos to hits ratio for the entire first day is literally fucking unbelievable. 70 comments?? what hold did this fic have on you people. i got fic written about this one?? my friends goncharov'd me in front of my face

really fucking fun to write and the insane response was smth im always gonna remember. i appreciate you guys so much

treesekai also turns a year old in a few days!

Until the Angels Realize You're Not One of Them

(Feb, 7.2k, emerald duo, oneshot) (link)

a traitor phil au which was mostly just me talking about all the reasons i love technoblade

this one... wasnt actually written this year for the most part? i didnt want to not acknowledge it, since it's on my ao3 in this year, but i wont be able to count it toward the total

still. traitor phil au my beloved. hearing him say on his stream he and techno wanted to do a betrayal arc made me feel insane bc i already had this written at the time

missing or obstructed

(2022-present, 12.9k, Grian & Ren, ongoing) (link)

post 3L fic about Ren and Grian seeking out closure with a lot of funny little sleep metaphors

same deal as the last fic, i, uh dont think i actually wrote anything new for missing or obstructed this year either? just uploaded chapters i wrote last year,,, i didnt wanna now acknowledge it, but i wont count this in my total later

i miss her. one day ill actually sit down and write more missing or obstructed. in my doc im JUST at introducing Martyn and i havent written it yet

to reach my mangled debut

(Sept, 4.2k, treebark week, ongoing) (link)

it wouldnt be me if i didnt have an execution somewhere in here. another op au!

THIS. I LOVE HER. when rev and i were plotting out the whole storyline for smop renchanting i was begging please give me this scene i need it and i had so much fun writing it. i rlly need to finish soon but i haven’t had time but please. please check out smop. she’s top of my priority list to update

Three-Dog Night

(Sept, 6.7k, treebark week, oneshot) (link)

BIG DOG. beauty and the beast au!

god im so fond of this au. there’s some rlly good scenes written for this and unposted bc i just need to link them together. honestly i think if i took a month and focused it on this fic alone i could fucking finish it but i don’t have the time ;-;

that said i’m so enamored w this au genuinely. o dunno what else to say i just think. puppy

Cover Me In Roses

(Sept, 3.3k, treebark week, oneshot) (link)

lamplight roleswap! put Martyn in a flower pot

i don’t feel as motivated to work on this one when i have lamplight unfinished so it’s lower on my priorities but know i have like an entire arc of this written and unposted. we just have a few paths for this one and i have to decide which one to use

it’s so wild to me lamplight has like. aus. like this isn’t even the only one? a roleswap. that’s insane? it’s wild that you all like lamplight enough i can even get away with this

First Sign of a House Fire

(Sept, 2k, treebark week, oneshot) (link)

i love superhero stories for two reasons: plots about secrets and adapting the characters to give them powers. this had smth fun for both of them

yellow rose isn’t super high on my list of priorities to update (i think the oneshot is interesting on its own) but one day,,,, it’s part of the many aus cherri and i have but it’s the longest for sure. the doc for just this au is like 100k words long on its own. at the time i draft this cherri and i are actively writing smth else for it in another tab. theres like 4 offshoots and im obsessed w all of them. we had to make ocs about this one. i’m excited to eventually add more to this series

actually that’s one of the scenes i’m most excited for and most dreading adding. we made a backstory oc and im SO attached to him and im excited to post a thing out there w him but. ough. whatever cringe is dead i’ll get there eventually and brute force my way into attaching you to our funky little robot guy

also love that this fic forced me to be decided on a docv characterization that i have to stick to. he may be a canon guy to martyn’s vtuber lore but he’s my oc now too

Blindsided

(Sept, 2k, treebark week, ongoing) (link)

pirate au and royal au based on a big secret and also stuffing a guy in a box and it's all stupid dramatic literally what else do you want or need in life

this is my wife. my favorite. my most beloved. blindsided gives me new illnesses and diseases. i have just one scene to write before i can update it and then i can continue unleashing her. god i love this fic the drama of it is SO fun.

the funny thing abt blindsided is i know all the plot chronologically but now how to Present it which is part of why i haven’t continued too much. eventually i will but until then know that one of the scenes im sitting on which has been fully written is one i think about constantly. hopefully when i post it cherri’ll let free the comic she did for it

i actually have the ending of this fic written i just need to get there lmfao. second on my priority list after smop i think

Cradle of the Leviathan

(Sept, 1.5k, treebark week, oneshot) (link)

i just love mer aus man. whats the point of it all if you cant have mer aus. just get a big ol fish

i have the ending of this au written as well and literally so little of the lead up. but this is pretty low on my priorities. i think this one stands just fine on its own. mer aus are nice like that

we actually have a few mer aus but for now i’ll be focusing on this one. i do have a few sweet post story things written for this one. maybe one day i’ll write enough to post em lmao

Lamplight AU

(2022-present, 47k, treebark, ongoing) (link)

renchanting dnd/fantasy au, martyn's a paladin and ren's a lamp

so i started this au last year. my wrapped last year said my total was 20k, so that means this year's total is.... 27k!

and… it was just lamplight’s birthday and i did all my appreciation for the fic and its readers then, but god. i love this fic so much and i love you all who have read it and been so kind about it. the amount of popularity it has makes it a bit nerve wracking to work on, but i still really want to see it finished. i hope to see the bulk of it done by this time next year!

Six Sentence Sunday

six sentence sunday is a challenge where i try to post six sentences i wrote that week every sunday, to keep me writing every week of the year! i do it over on my writing blog, @driflew

i did not keep up on my six sentences,,, i had a lot of sunday fencing tournaments. i did for ~33 weeks this year! thats a pretty good amount! i’ll have to be more on top of it next year tho

unpublished work

the last few years i havent included unpublished work, but with the extreme bulk of it, i wanted to note it down. cherri @/cherrifire and i have been writing a lot back and forth at each other in discord dms this year, and i wanted to include those in my count! bc holy fucking shit is there a lot of them

i didn’t include collab pieces, just pieces i wrote alone. i also only included the renchanting aus i share w cherri and scarian aus i share w flowey, nothing else—no unfinished lamplight or other independent pieces or oneshots, no original fiction for class, nothing. i also missed a few u haven’t moved to docs yet. so i’m lowballing by a few. thousands. of words

the total for those is...... 135k words! there is,,, something wrong with me

total and end notes

our total this year is...

187512 words!

that might be my highest word count yet! because i caught treebark disease. wild.

something really fun about this year to me is i really loved everything i wrote.

if you want to get me a gift or support me on my birthday… maybe try reading my work and reblogging it or leaving a comment! you can find my writing at driflew or skelew on ao3, follow my writing blog at @driflew, or even consider tipping my kofi!

thank you for sticking with me and supporting me this year! i really appreciate it! hopefully i can break 100k next year too!

[fullonfandomindulgence]

dimple is a great fucking character and i will fight anyone who says otherwise. specifically i will fight them by making them read this masterpiece client-crashing god-tackle effortpost about dimple

ive deliberately put off watching the telepathy arc episodes so i could finish this. i like tome So Much. you have no idea how much willpower it took. but it is done and its abt dimples like whole story and purpose and life and i think its a real good thing for you to read and enjoy

im so serious about this that I'm gonna capitalize and punctuate. My sorta thesis here is that Dimple's goals of manipulation are an expression of the basic act of choice that Mob Psycho 100 defines as living, but caring for Mob freaks him out because it distracts him from that purpose, and that contradiction and desperation to choose to live through control is tragically what ends him. Dimple is a friend. Strap in, motherfuckers, we're going for a ride.

Dimple's Goals (Dimpoals)

This is kinda an easy one.

I'm gonna be using images from the show and the comics but I'm not talking about anything past season three, episode six, so no worries anime-onlys. I describe all relevant visual info for each image, though there are also extra IDs in the alt text--I try not to repeat information.

Dimple wants to be a god, "the ultimate being in all creation," "the greatest power in the whole world," and "an object of devotion for all humanity." This dovetails with ideas about superiority and idealism in other parts of the comic but this post ain't about that. It's important that he never says what he'd actually do as a god. Like what is the power for? This comes up in his final confrontation with Mob, too.

Dimple claims that Psycho Helmet leads "people onto the right path," but the second Mob interrogates that he admits he has no plan, "no codex of any kind" from the comic. I don't think that's entirely true, though. Clearly Dimple doesn't care about ruling, because he doesn't actually know what he'd do with the power. But he does want to be revered--he wants positive attention!

Dimple's LOL cult is all about people laughing, and in this panel he says he chose that so he could gain a following without violence. Dimple's attempt with the divine tree is the same, he's trying to keep people the same besides their worship of the tree, make them feel happy in togetherness, help them "find peace at heart." I think there is a reading where making people happy is just a means to an end for Dimple. He for sure tries to kill Mob the first time they meet. But he doesn't have any logic for why he's not, like, using his powers to threaten people and demand tribute. He wants to become a god by making people feel good.

All this said--he's not gonna do it by being himself.

Identifying as evil

When Dimple meets Reigen he identifies himself as an evil spirit. Obviously this is sort of a joke. Like the idea that Mob's pet/mascot is actually an ancient malevolent ghost is pretty funny. But it's meaningful for Dimple's character too, so let's talk about what "evil" looks like. First, obviously the possession thing. How good is it that among all the people trying to manipulate Mob, one of them wants to literally control his every move? Second, here's a bunch of bad stuff Dimple did that Mob thinks about right after Teru tries to exorcise him:

Bro! She's like fourteen! (Dimple makes a lecherous comment about Tsubomi in this image.) He threatens Reigen, he tells Mob the body improvement club is a waste of his time, he straight up asks Mob if he can possess him... He's vindictive, pushy, mocking, and transparently manipulative.

Now to be fair lots of Mob Psycho characters are Like That. But there are some other things more specific to Dimple. Third, he tries to possess Ritsu, taking advantage of his fear of Mob. Fourth, again, the attempting-to-kill-Mob thing. Fifth, here's a bit from a recent side story:

My god. Dimple is terrifying in this. If you haven't read it, Uu is a little dog spirit that Reigen's been keeping around as a pet. Dimple notices that it's feeding on Reigen's energy so he gets rid of it. In these panels he waits until Reigen asks him where Uu is before telling him that he ate it. He has all these lines on his face and this expression of like hostile delight. There are creepy effects blobs behind him. He burps! He does a thing he knows will hurt Reigen and then rubs it in his face, acting like he takes pleasure in it. And finally from one of my favorite scenes in season 2:

I love love love this scene, when Mob is asked to exorcise the ghost family and he refuses. It takes the existing tropes in the story and introduces this like moral complexity and thoughtfulness, it communicates a change in stakes... "They won't have to exorcise you if the clients are dead." Again Dimple is smiling maliciously. He tries to manipulate ghost dad into attacking the college assholes, which is the one hand, for the purpose of getting him exorcised by Mob, which is the other hand. Harm in both directions. There is a third hand! We'll get to it.

But I want to summarize this section first: Dimple's default tool for dealing with adversity is manipulation. He, unlike, say, Reigen, is very comfortable looking like the bad guy, and to some extent he believes he is one. He wants to reach godhood by making people feel good, and he's going to do that not through bloodshed or by being a paragon of virtue but by using other people's flaws to control them.

The Living Spirit

Sorry, I want to do some more stuff before I get to the third hand.

I'd like to think I've been helpfully analytical up to this point, though probably not too novel. But I haven't seen anyone talk about this. Dimple is the liveliest dead guy in the comic, by a wide margin. He has multiple genuine relationships with people, he gets embarrassed, he gets happy, he fears things, he fully laughs. Sure in-canon this might be a proximity thing but in a narrative context I think it's significant that he's so much more of a character than other spirits. Here, in essentially his introduction as a significant character, he says, "I don't want to spend the rest of my life as a ghost!" There's also a great pun he makes in the Dark Horse translation when Reigen questions the existence of urban legend spirits--"Look, pal, just because you're a fake, don't disrespect the lived experience of the dead!" He thinks about living a lot.

Dimple comes back from apparent evaporation more than once, first when Mob exorcises him at the LOL meeting, second when Teru exorcises him in their first encounter. He really really wants to live.

Then there's the brief conversation between him and Reigen about the woman being stalked by what appears to be a spirit, but ends up being a neighbor astral-projecting himself. In this panel Dimple denies that spirits get horny. "It's not like we can do anything about it." He doesn't even think about like romantic love. So most importantly, canon aroace Dimple. But also Dimple believes that being a ghost reduces your existence. It's not even a possibility to do certain things, whether you want to or not. There's a tension here, Dimple craves life but knows that as-is he can't have it.

And then there's this six-page omake at the end of volume five. Please please read it if you can, it's not in the anime and it's such a good little story. When Dimple is almost exorcised by Teru, he only just manages to pull together an ant-sized form, and is rescued from being eaten by a pig ghost by a tiny human spirit called Stubble. The above image is an abandoned house in the woods, with Stubble, off-screen, monologuing, "I simply don't want to perish. I don't hold any grudge against this world. Neither do I have any dreams. Years have passed, without a clear goal." Stubble lives an extremely reduced existence, figuratively and literally. He rides around on the back of the ghost of flea, i.e., he is dependent on the echo of a thing that needs to latch onto something else to exist. He has no agency at all.

It's disconcerting, how Dimple starts at Stubble's size and slowly grows--or, reframed, Stubble slowly shrinks. Here Dimple accuses Stubble, "You died, even before your death. But I on the other hand..." Stubble gets angry. "You're dead too!" Again you should read the story, the way it concludes really blows me away.

Remember in the first episode of season three the S&S crew help the bald guy out of his funk, and at one point he says, "Am I doomed to just repeat these meaningless days until my death?" And then, soon after, "Wait, is my life already over?"

This is about the desperation of agency. Because like, Stubble is right. Dimple has been dead for a long time. His goal is ridiculous. His existence is scraps, yet he's clinging to them with everything he has. What's the point? Lay down alone among the insects, shrink and fade.

Dimple doesn't have a counterargument to Stubble. He doesn't justify "why." But the last sentence he says in the omake is, "I want to stay alive." Dimple, and by extension this omake, and if I may be so bold all of Mob Psycho 100, identifies agency with life. It's not even that life is about making choices, it's that life is literally the act of choosing. You have to choose to live. And Dimple does.

He likes control. He likes choice. He may not be alive but he chooses to live every day. Why? Because he has a purpose: he's going to become a god. And he's going to take Mob there with him.

The Third Hand

Are you good? You're like 1500 words in, feel free to take a break, drink some water.

Maybe you're starting to sense where this is heading. On the third hand, Dimple manipulates ghost dad to help Mob. He attempts to take away both of their autonomy in order to ease Mob's obvious distress. Let's talk about Dimple's evolving relationship with Mob.

I say this a third time, Dimple tries to kill Mob when they meet. Then, despite a positive spin on his initial pitch to Mob, he's pretty transparently evil about it.

These frames of the show are from that introduction, the first with Dimple surrounded in stars and bright colors saying "Let's shoot for the top of the world together," the second with Dimple thinking, face lit from below and body language full of menace, "I'll just wait for my chance to possess him." To be fair again, lots of Mob Psycho characters are Like That. Compare this to the first episode of season two: when Mob tells Dimple the story about Emi, Dimple, excited, assures him that they should keep sticking together so Dimple can help him out with these things. The animators even use the same image of Dimple with the stars and colors:

"Looks like you'll always need an advisor like me!" But this time he doesn't have the sinister turn he did when they first met. This is how Dimple keeps acting throughout season two. He helps Mob, apparently so that Mob trusts him so that in turn Mob can help him reach godhood. But he goes so far above and beyond without any malice: he keeps Banshomaru safe, he possesses one of the high school kids bullying Mob, he eats the curse off Reigen's back, he tries to defend Mob against fucking Toichiro.

Here's a great couple panels: after Dimple explains the deal with urban legends becoming real, he reiterates that he wants to be a god. Then Mob asks Dimple to "make sure [Banshomaru] won't get hurt," and little surprise lines come off Dimple. He agrees but says, "You gotta do me a favor sometime too." Dimple is a little struck by Mob's trust, but maybe more importantly this is the first time in a while, and I think the last time in season two, that Dimple suggests Mob do something for him. It only comes after he reiterates exactly what his purpose is. Dimple's priorities are a little unstable.

Yeah this is just a full comic page from the encounter with Mogami but it's meaningful as shit. Dimple has just suggested taking over Mob's body to protect it. The first panel is Dimple looking away and down, deflated, ashamed. A few sweat drops come down his face. He says, "but something like that..." And to his surprise (action lines, closeup, wide eyes) Mob agrees. Dimple puts on an evil affect when he responds: a horizontally squashed panel shows his backlit face. He smiles unpleasantly and laughs a little, "Kuku..." But his heart clearly isn't in it! His eyebrows are worried, not hostile. There's no pleasure in his smile. He's covered in sweatdrops, eyes wide. When Mob assures Reigen, "It'll be okay," there's another panel of Dimple where the remnants of that affect slide off him. The backlighting is still present but not as severe, the echo of that smile is on his cheek. He's openly worried and covered in sweatdrops. Mob's speech bubble covers a large portion of his face.

Points about this. First, by now Dimple has given up on possessing Mob. This thing that seemed like the main path to his goal is not an option. Second, while both Dimple and Reigen believe that this is a bad idea for Mob, Mob disagrees. Dimple identifies as evil. Reigen identifies him as evil. Mob no longer does. This is classic Shigeo Kageyama behavior, being generous to people even when no one including themselves thinks they deserve it. And the worst part for Dimple is he's starting to agree with Mob. When the option he'd dropped is handed to him on a silver platter, he finds he doesn't want to take advantage of this kid that way. He's a different person than he was.

I don't even know how relevant this is but. Look how much fucking fun Dimple has when he's possessing Mob to protect him. He's doing all these flips and kicks. His smile when he's fighting Mogami!Asagiri is so funny. He does the wildest mid-air combo I ever did see when he attacks the Claw guy as Mob.

Mob becomes such a top priority for Dimple that in the first episode of season three he realizes he forgot that he wanted to become a god. Not only that, but when he comes to Mob to convince him to lead the cult together he's immediately distracted by Mob and what's going on in his life. Mob has to prompt him for him to remember that he's there about the cult.

All this is why Mob's mistrust of Dimple in this conversation is so tragic. Dimple has helped Mob so much, and been so much of a genuine friend, because he knew that Mob trusted him. Where did it go? What happened? Mob's parting words to him are, "Why don't you give your schemes a rest already?" What schemes?? This is the first he's had in months. The translation in the comic, though, is so much more brutal:

"Why don't you stop doing bad things?"

Dimple is

Dimple is terrified of Mob. When Mob wonders if Dimple is scared of him, he's right, of course he is. He has lots of reasons. Mob almost evaporates Dimple when they first meet, threatens him multiple times. Dimple saw him at 100% rage, Mob's first on-screen. He watched Mob hit ???% without being knocked unconscious. This is all especially threatening given Dimple's drive to live. He's terrified when Ritsu tries to fight Mob, he's terrified when Mob asks him if he had anything to do with Ritsu's kidnapping, he's terrified when he thinks Reigen is about to tell Mob that they don't know what happened to his family. But I also read his fear as a symbol of how important Mob is. Dimple attached himself to Mob as the way to achieve his goal. Dimple helps Mob out in so many ways, putting off his goal, so that eventually they can fulfill his purpose together. Then he starts caring about this kid so much that he forgets his purpose! Of course Dimple fears Mob, because their relationship threatens what drives him to live. As much as Dimple is a manipulator, Mob is the one who ultimately has power over him.

Dimple so easily reverts to an evil persona once he leaves Mob because without Mob that's all he can be. If he can't get to the top with Mob, then he has to do it the old way, by using people's flaws to manipulate them. He's able use the broccoli to become a physical presence and get around the "amazing power" problem--though the broccoli's presence and power are still kinda Mob's! But why does he need to become a god at all? Because that's all he is. If he doesn't have Mob and he doesn't have his purpose, then he has nothing.

"Don't go casually denying the thing I've been wanting so badly!" Dimple gets so angry when Mob tells him he's being fake because first, Mob is denying Dimple's manipulative tendencies, which are really important to Dimple right here because he feels his identity is so precarious. And because second, Mob is denying Dimple's purpose. Dimple is in equal danger from Mob's physical attacks and Mob's denial of what he wants. What he wants, what he chooses, is what living is. Dimple doesn't want to die.

Here's a lot of a comic page again, from the final confrontation. Dimple tells Mob that he's just been using him the whole time they've known each other. Mob says, "I'm sad... Does that mean it's time to say goodbye to Dimple?" He steps towards Dimple, who screams in fear and anticipation. I think this is basically the worst thing ever, because god, Dimple is so afraid. Mob is justified in what he's doing but Dimple's desperation is what stands out to me, how hard he's tried to cling to agency and life and how sincerely he believes Mob is about to take it all away from him anyway, to disappear forever and ever.

And then Dimple insults Mob's shirt.

Dimple insults Mob's shirt

Fucking kills me. These are two frames from episode six, Dimple sees how much Mob suddenly trusts him and his reaction is anger, "You okay with leaving me like this?" His eyes are wide, brow down in anger. And then what he says next, "I'm... a dangerous evil spirit!" Here the anger is present but has softened with worry on his brow. The lines by his nose and his pouty lower lip make him look scared and sad. This fight has made it important to Dimple's identity that Mob try to stop him, because he's evil, and Mob stops evil spirits.

Panels from the comic where Mob tells Dimple, "You weren't doing bad things. You were just doing what you wanted to do. Together with me. You trusted me before I trusted you, Dimple. Thank you." Mob doesn't think Dimple is evil, but he identifies how important Dimple acting on his wants is, and he tells him that he still values their relationship. He denies that he has to hurt dimple but affirms his power to choose.

I maybe could've skipped a lot of BS if I put this page further up but I wanted this to get felt, what Dimple's admitting to himself here. It's another section of a page. Panel one, a white splotch in darkness with Dimple's thoughts, "It felt like my ambitions would fade away. Did spending time with unselfish Shigeo cause even me to lose sight of my goals?" Panel two, Dimple is the white splotch. He's scared. "...eh? Wait, that's a problem...!! I'll lose my reason for existing!" So Dimple tells Mob, angry, "No, not yet... I'm not done yet! Even now... I've still got... plenty of things I want to do! And ambitions!" Mob agrees, with that tired, frank look. "I'll hear you out for real. As your friend." Accepting Mob's friendship like this is terrifying, because it means what it always has, forgetting about this purpose. What if Mob stops trusting him again? If he really, consciously abandons his purpose, will he still have agency? He wanted a friend, always wanted a friend. Will it be enough? Will he disappear?

Dimple takes Mob's hand anyway. This was such an amazing shot, I've reproduced its animated glory here, Mob and Dimple reach towards each other, Mob weakly, so Dimple closes the gap and grabs him. The hand grasp of all time. I'm not gonna talk about how this fits into all the other Mob Psycho hand symbolism, that's another 4000-word megapost.

It's worth it. I'm convinced that by involving yourself in a network of people and creating some sense of obligation to others you can actually give yourself an even deeper kind of agency than you could achieve alone. And this is awful, terrifying. Because it involves giving yourself up a little bit. You have to give up some control. Dimple wants to be a god, to have ultimate power and control, so much of him is his manipulation, but he has to give that up for this. Goals that may have guided you for a long time can become irrelevant--and then who are you? If you've defined your life by something for years, and at the end of the decade you realize you don't fit your definition anymore, where do you go? Dimple tells Mob, "Let's go home." But...

Panels from the comic, where Dimple carries a sleeping Mob and thinks, "I said 'let's go home,' but I don't really have any place to 'go home' to... And I don't have anything to aim for from here... I wonder what I should do now." That Dimple is allowing himself to think this is really powerful. I don't think this has to be a sad moment. Like obviously Mob thinks that Dimple's home is his house. He just asked him to stay away until he reverts to his smaller form, as in, he otherwise would've expected Dimple to stay with him. I appreciate the larger point that now Dimple feels unmoored, and deciding on a new purpose is existential. But I think Mob also has a larger point that he believes he can help moor Dimple. I think allowing yourself to wonder where to go next is so important. Dimple is where Mob was a few months back when he decided he wanted to join the body improvement club! He has a future, even if he can't see it very well.

Or, um.

I keep fucking crying while I'm writing this. I love the translation in the comic here. Dimple kneels before a prone Mob and, finger touching his forehead, says, "Listen well... I'm giving you orders for the first and last time. First, wake up. Stand up, Shigeo." Mob is still for a moment and then says, "...it's no use. I can't put any strength into my legs. I can't move my arms either." Dimple is very serious now as he relays, "Your body may complain, but still... stand up. Even if you cannot stand... you must stand." God damn it, god fucking dammit.

Sometimes it's not so easy to change. Your actions have consequences. Your history follows you. Dimple's desperate attempt to keep his old wants comes back to kill his new ones.

Dimple's final act is the same thing he always does, he manipulates Mob to protect him. And it is good and kind. Suddenly his reason for existence is paradoxical: he's going to have to die to fulfill it. Who exists to die? But that's not what it is. Because he's making a choice. He denies death, he says, no, you can swallow me whole, you can annihilate me, but even then you can't take my agency away from me. And I will use this final choice to protect someone I love.

Dimple was a friend.

[queeryutbrb]

Hi, I saw you commented on a Sonic animation post and you said you were learning 2d animation. I wanted to know if you've progressed and if you could spare any helpful information I could use on my animation journey. Thanks

yo! sure, yeah, id love to help ^^

i have made some progress, yeah. there's a lot of stylistic variations, but here's what's been most helpful to me :)

0. a lot of these mention speed - if you get too caught on something, it's likely to sap your motivation. also, i use frame-by-frame, not rigging, so some of these might not be helpful if you use rigging.

1. learn to accept mistakes.

perfectionism will slow you down. it's a little each frame, but that *adds up*. in a few second long animation, it may be fine. but if you're going for 15+ seconds, even into minutes, that can cost you hours to days to even months of progress, depending on the length. learn to accept minor mistakes, if you haven't already. you can always fix them later.

2. you dont have to redraw every single frame.

first, you can cut up an individual frame and move the parts of it. i draw characters art, and i cut up different bits of the arm when i wanna move it. second, you can warp a frame - stretch it, slant it, squish it, lots of things. you can also slide them around on the screen. third, you can reuse a frame. that's one you have to experiment with a bit, seeing where it's helpful for you and where it isn't.

3. do one thing at a time.

if you've just sketched a frame, dont move onto lining it, sketch the next one. if you get bored with one step but still wanna work on the animation, that's when you switch to the next. getting into a rhythem can help you enjoy the work more and let it go by faster.

4. stretch!

if you wanna animate, you have to take care of your body. it's fairly easy to find stretches online, look up "stretches for artists/animators" or "stretches to avoid carpel tunnel", and walk around a couple minutes every hour you've been seated. if you don't, that strain will add up, and you can cause or worsen chronic pain in yourself.

5. check your progress every so often.

if you ever wanna see your current progress, go for it! it can help you stay motivated and show you want you like and dislike about your animation so far. to do this, put in a few frames of your animation and time them properly. put them together like they should be in the final piece. watch this back whenever you like :) it's a great way to give yourself a little reward for all your hard work!

6. watch videos on animation from other artists.

plenty of people share their tips. i've learned a lot by going on youtube and searching "animaton tips". you can also play this in the background while you animate, if you'd like. i always like having something to listen to, myself, and it can help me a lot to have it be related to the art i'm making.

i reccomend doodley and lavendertowne, personally :)

7. animate for you.

remember, if there's anything you don't wanna do, you don't have to. make what you enjoy making, not just what you think others would wanna see. if you end up sharing your animations, which you don't have to do, you will find your audience. do what you enjoy, skill will come to you along the way. :)

i hope these are helpful to you ^^ best of luck on your animation journey!

[copperbadge]

Hi Sam! I've just adopted two baby orangies that I'm maybe gonna name Lucy and Mina. It's been 20 years since I've had baby kitties and I'm reluctant to leave them alone without supervision. Can you share what kind of camera/software set-up you have for the cryptids? What kind of security do you have on the feed? How did you decide where to point the camera? How many cameras/what brand did you choose to go with?

Thank you for considering sharing your cryptid webcam knowledge and here's a pic of my baby girls!!

[ID: Two extremely fluffy and adorable kittens, with long shaggy orange striped fur, are lying together in a cat hammock, cuddled up and sleepy.]

Aw, babies! Great names btw :D I hated leaving my cryptids that first day I had to go back to work.

I've gone through a couple of iterations of the home webcams; the first ones I bought were some company that I think has since gone out of business, and they were a bit of a struggle anyway since it was an Italian company selling mostly to Japan, and nothing was in English :D Their app was...subpar.

Currently I have three Kasa brand webcams and I really like them. They can be slightly temperamental to set up, especially if you don't have really strong internet; it used to be I could basically only have two of them operational at any given time because my internet was too weak to sustain the third, but we got new internet in the building a few months ago and suddenly the problems went away :D I wish that it was possible to access them from a webpage as well as the app, but I can't complain too much -- otherwise I've been very pleased with them.

Mine (similar to this, I think a slightly earlier model) can turn almost completely around; they have night-vision too, which I like. I started out just having one in the living room, but when I'm not there the cats often stay in other areas of the house, so I put one in the hallway and eventually the bedroom -- the goal was to put cameras where I knew my cats would be, so I could look in on them and actually see them. You'll get a sense, using the cameras or even just living with your kits for a while, of where they like to be when you aren't there.

Dearborn will often come when called to a camera, but Polk completely ignores them. If you want to interact with your cats you may want to buy one of the special petcam versions that have controllable laser pointers and treat dispensers, but mine don't like treats so I went with pure camera ability.

There's no real security on them other than whatever's on them natively, but I really only have them on when I'm traveling. They have a "privacy" mode where you can physically see that they've been switched off, there's a little light that is always on when they're on. But also like. If some hacker really wants so badly to see a fortysomething man talking to his cats, whatever, I hope they have fun. :D I assume there are extra security measures that can be put into place, but they'd probably involve the wifi rather than the cameras.

But yeah -- the Kasa cams are reasonably high-def, have sound and a speaker, have night-vision and are pretty maneuverable; can recommend.

[liesmyth]

What is wheel of time and should I start it tomorrow?

you SHOULD.

Wheel of Time is an epic fantasy series by the late Robert Jordan. It's epic in scope, in length, and in its insanely large cast of characters. It's fascinating. The worldbuilding is insane, but also familiar (partly because it relies on widespread fantasy tropes, partly because it made many of those tropes popular for many books published later). The characters are exasperating but deeply human; I love SO many of them and appreciate so many others. It's very Of Its Time in some regards, especially re: its handling of gender roles and sexuality, but it's also surprisingly progressive and queer in intent even when the execution falters, and I really appreciate a lot that it even tried to Go There, because it was Very formative for me as a young teen. It's also one of those books where you can see the author's kinks all over the place (both narrative and otherwise) and tbh? it's a bit cringe but lots of fun. Also it’s very well written; the plot is as Epic as epic fantasy gets but it’s really the character moments that make the reader invested in the story. I just love it a lot, ngl.

Fun fact: I am now today on tumblr dot com, blogging in english, because sometimes around age 15 even though I fucking hated english class in school I just couldn’t wait for the latest books to come out in my country so I had to become fluent enough to read a 700-pages novel by myself. THAT is the grip this series had on me.

Some things I am now into because of reading WoT starting at age eleven.

codependent magical bonds with loyalty kink thrown in (if you’re familiar with TLT, think necro/cav but usually f/m. Not always though :) )

femdom. both F/f and F/m varieties

Propesized Savior trying to kill their humanity to become a figure larger than history (before realizing that's bullshit)

what if monastic(ish) order of sole women but also we had sex about it

unfortunately. a lot of weird kinks. I will elaborate on request but it’s better if I don’t right off the bat.

no, I lied. It wasn’t unfortunate. I appreciate it when authors are brave enough to let the banner of their id fly high

ruined civilizations and newer, less advanced civilizations rising from the wreckage. the collective understanding that you live in a post-apocalypse world. old scientific principles becoming magic

confronting your alternate dimension self, as a treat

dream sex

devil-may-care rogues who actually care a lot

alien morality, or cultural differences so big that they fundamentally are the same thing

people who are SO Wrong about everything but are 100% committed to their own personal moral code

whatever the fuck Mat’s luck had going on

“I know what my destiny is but I say: fuck you”

I can’t stress enough how many of my kinks (narrative; sexy in fiction only; sexy in RL) came directly from this series. Like, I know I’ve already said that but putting together this list made me think and. Oh my god.

SWORD MAIDENS

More practical information: there are 14 books. Yes, I know. The first book is The Eye of the World - it's fun and probably not exceptional even though you can feel the hints of how grand and insane the greater worldbuilding will be, and some characters really shine (Nynaeve!). The second book is where it really gets original, the third book is where I went from "books I like" to "series OF ALL TIME". If you don’t like it by book 4 then give up. If you like book 4 as much as I did you will never ever want to give up.

There's also an Amazon Prime show, currently S1 has been released! I haven't watched it beyond the first ep, but plan to do it soon; it's a lot more f/f than the books and the back half had some pacing issues (partly due to COVID fucking with the production) but definitely very iddy from what I've heard, and I’m very excited to check it out in time for S2.

tldr PLEASE read wheel of time!

[luminalunii97]

Civil disobedience, act 5: Kindness!

The regime started their murdering and brutal crackdowns early on the protests. In retribution people started to share free hugs and fist bumps on the streets. Soon free hug became a revolution act why? Because men and women touching or even sitting next to each other was a taboo culturally and religiously, and the regime likes to keep that taboo in place. Hugging strangers regardless of gender is a taboo breaking act and the regime started to call girls and women who participated in this "whores"!

Among protesters it's a strong tool. Coming out to the streets can be really scary but receiving a hug in solidarity empowers you. Hearing death news everyday can take a toll on you, getting a hug from a stranger you know has heard the news and is mourning with you can be comforting.

For the giver It's a stressful thing to do though. You have to be ready to run if you see a policeman. Sometimes people whisper in your ear "please be careful and stay safe" with good intentions but a haunting tone and it just makes you want to bolt specially if you have anxiety! But anyway it's fun and it brings us unity.

The first and third video are from Kermanshah and Mahabad, two Kurd cities. The last one is from Tehran.

Another kindness act is fist bumping and getting chocolate but make it revolution style. Each chocolate or candy is wrapped in a note. The note is either a slogan (like woman life freedom) or a sentence of encouragement. It can also be a call for demonstration. This started as a tool to encourage civil disobedience. So women who risked their arrest and took off their hijab in the streets were the first group of people who received chocolate. Then men and women, and hijabi and nonhijabi women started to give these to each other. So it turned into a solidarity gift giving ceremony. The day after Kian Pirfalak, the 10 year old boy murder, all over Tehran people handed out chocolates in paper boats with notes that said "in the name of the god of the rainbow".

[images id: 8 pictures taken of notes that accompanied chocolate or candy. The notes are written in Persian.

Pic 1 notes translations: "24, 25, 26 of Aban, freedom." "Accompany us. We will take Iran back with you." "You're not alone buddy."

Pic 2 notes: one is a drawing of Hossein Ronaghi, a political prisoner and social activist who was released from prison 2 months later. Underneath the drawing it says "Hossein Ronaghi said I'm afraid too, I want to have a peaceful life too, I don't want to hear the news of death and torture and execution and poverty and misery, I like to sleep peacefully at night, but I can't be indifferent... " The second note is a drawing of a small woman standing on a mullah's head and putting her headscarf on fire.

Pic 3 notes translations: "woman life freedom" "your hair is so beautiful" "keep doing what you're doing" "#for_you" "thank you for making the city beautiful" "you're a fist and you have a lot of fans" "after the revolution you will be part of our history book"

Pic 4 notes translations: "#women_life_freedom" "be safe daughter of iran" "for your beautiful hair" "for #woman_life_freedom" "fight fight until victory is the anthem of attack" "you are the beauty of my city" "we need hugs to live"

Pic 5 note translation: "for woman life freedom #MahsaAmini"

Pic 6 notes translations: "for dancing in the alley... Hope we will laugh wholeheartedly one day" "we're going to celebrate freedom together, so promise to be safe"

Pic 7 note translation: "women life freedom"

Pic 8 note translation: "if I rise, if you rise, we will all rise. #Women_life_freedom"]

These days we're living in an almost Martial law situation. They're shooting at everyone they see. A man, Alireza Khoshkar Bayati, was talking on the phone in his car. They thought he's filming them and broke his car windows. He got scared and tried to flee, they thought he might be guilty of something so they started shooting at his car. That's how another innocent life was taken. When things like this happen we get more convinced that our only option is the regime change. When you're not even safe in your car talking on the phone, it's impossible to live. After Mohsen Shekari execution for a couple of days, people gathered in the street he closed and was executed for. The anti riot forces attacked silent protesters with tear gas and batons and shotguns. A group of people walking down the street silently. The astonishing part was that many people didn't run. They continued their walk. We have nothing to lose, nothing to live for. The regime change is the silver of hope keeping us all alive. That's why they're afraid of people walking silently. There are still demonstrations happening. In universities. In streets, mostly at night. There are strikes and boycotts. People are getting killed or abducted. And finding chocolates and hugs is no more comforting. The only comfort my people can find is the regime change.