#feel free to reuse bits of this for your own purposes this is just the way i want it on my blog

[seeingteacupsindragons]

Today, I bring you meta on a recurring motif in Yuukoku no Moriarty that is somewhat less heavy-handed than the Christ metaphors and the religion and the darkness and the light and the fire and the water.

Today, I bring you discussion about threads.

I’ll be honest, this one is hugely impacted by my desire to incorporate something similar into my current writing projects with intention, and thus I wanted to explore it. I suspect a lot of the things this discussion will touch on were unintentional, and some were not, and it’s a bit tangled up trying to figure out what was what. But it’s also true that I don’t know the authors, so I don’t know what was intentional and what they were hoping we’d noticed that they never commented on. I also think the fact that it appears to be in there anyway is interesting and thus worth commenting on it.

I suspect reading that this was about threads, most of your minds jumped to the red string of fate Sherlock says ties him to William. But the series uses it in a lot of pretty versatile ways, as it does with most things—the manga really likes reusing and repurposing elements, and I like that a lot. In fact, I think the series plays up the concept of reusing and repurposing things for new meanings.

So let’s start

There’s a recurring theme in the series of what, and who, is tied to what and who, connected to what, what beginning leads to what ending. We see it in Sherlock’s mind maps of crimes and the way he refers to being led to and led by William. We see Moran’s chains to his past being replaced wholly by William’s ties to him. We see discussions of who started what and what that lead to, and whether it was fate or something they caused and we see them being tied to their own past in atonement. We see thorny rose vines entangling characters up with each other.

The ties are causal, but they’re primarily relational: they’re what people feel stuck in and trapped by, and what they feel led by.

Most of these threads are tied, shall we say, to William. While he and his brothers are all represented as spiders in their family heraldry, William is certainly the master weaver at the center of it all who builds their web. And as he builds his plan and web throughout the London underground, he’s also creating his home and tying himself to his family: a spider’s web is more than just a trap for victims, and William’s plan is more than just self-sacrifice and murder.

So William attaches his sticky catching threads to all his beloved ones to keep them close to him, and at the same time freeing people from their chains to other people and ideas—and okay, chains aren’t threads, but they’re long tangly things, so close enough, okay?

And his spidery, webby threads turn into the curtain tassels to pull on for his play to reveal what he wants. They turn into puppet strings to lead people where he wants to dance for him as he pleases. He uses them as trick wires as the Lord of Crime to complete his purposes.

He uses them to lead, connect, bind, to control—but he doesn’t use them to kill.

William never hangs anyone. Never uses a garotte. He never kills anyone with string, a rope, thread, any of it. Yes, you could argue that those things are so hard to pass off as an accident…but so is beheading Baskervilles. So is bringing a gun to shoot Milverton. That doesn’t appear to be what strings are for to him. The strings seem to be more…well…him.

Sherlock sees that thread in William a lot.

When the image of spider webs and their prey tend to crop up, it’s usually in Sherlock’s musing about The Lord of Crime. He’s the first one to mention a thread leading him to William—that Red String of Fate. And, when he’s afraid that thread has snapped, he manages to snap the string of his violin. It’s a fun visual detail to ground the whole scene and bring it back to reality from his musing. It connects William’s play wires to Sherlock’s own artistic performances, in a way.

I also like that the snap brings an end to his playing, his musing, his song, his fun. Without that thread connecting him to William, everything sounds off and doesn’t work properly, and he’s not happy about it. Obviously, a violin string can be replaced, but the thread between two people can’t be so easily. But shortly after this, Sherlock and William get to revive their connection, too, and prove it still strong and the game still on and the dance still playing.

And, when Sherlock speaks to William at Milverton’s mansion, he vows to unravel William—like a spool of so much thread. Like the threads he uses to connect William’s crimes and mysteries to each other on a wall, like the threads that he brackets the Moriarty brothers together with. But William himself is caught in his own spiderweb, and Sherlock is going to free him from it, and in the process, unravel the core of who William is and what’s there underneath all the puffery and stage makeup.

Miyoshi did a “birthday” art piece for William the year that was all coming out that showed William with a red thread wrapped around his own neck, dangerous as anything else, and a motif in the first time it was confirmed by one of the creators themselves that it’s his false birthday and part of his Plan. I like that piece a lot for a lot of reasons, but that thread did look rather like a noose—a weapon he’s never used, but was about to strangle himself.

Sherlock’s statement to unravel William also a signifier that Sherlock has followed that red thread that connected them and realized he found a horrific knot strangling William up in it. Sherlock is no longer excited by the strings and threads: he wants them gone.

I think it’s interesting that in New York, when William finally feels ready to confront all these things about himself, he finally unwraps the last ties, the last thread on him—the bandages over his eye—and proceeds to tie himself to Sherlock metaphorically instead. His heart is finally untangled from the mess he trapped it in and he can bind it again properly, healthily, and with new purpose.

William and Sherlock’s new promise to each other doesn’t come with any discussion of threads or ties. William has left that behind now, and his bonds to other don’t need to be tangled up and restrictive. When Bond renamed themself, they didn’t have any images of threads, either, because their relationships with their friends and Sherlock’s side of the team was not caught up in such a complicated mess. And now, William finally has that freedom, too.

[remove-junk-daniel-john-mullaney]

A Day in the Life of Daniel John Mullaney: The Joys of Junk Removal

Hello, dear readers! I’m Daniel John Mullaney, and today I’m excited to share a little glimpse into my world of junk removal.

My days are a whirlwind of clearing clutter and transforming chaotic spaces into organized havens. So, buckle up and join me as I take you through a typical day in the life of a junk removal specialist.

Morning Rush: Coffee and Call-Ins

The day starts early for me. My alarm buzzes at the crack of dawn—well, more like the crack of when the coffee pot brews its first dark batch. I’ve always found that a strong cup of coffee is the best way to kickstart my day. With a steaming mug in hand, I dive into my emails and voicemails to sort through requests. There’s always a mix of residential, commercial, and sometimes even unexpected odd jobs.

Today, for instance, I have a mix of tasks: clearing out an old attic, removing construction debris from a recent home renovation, and helping a local school with some long-overdue cleanup. Each job has its own set of challenges, and that’s part of what makes this job so rewarding.

Hitting the Road: Tools of the Trade

Once I’ve mapped out the day’s itinerary, it’s time to load up the truck. My team and I have a trusty old truck, equipped with all the essentials—dollies, straps, and of course, a few sturdy pair of gloves. You’d be surprised at how many odd items we come across. From antique furniture to defunct electronics, it’s always a treasure hunt.

We hit the road with a sense of purpose and excitement. Each job brings its own story. Take today’s attic clean-out, for example. The family had inherited a house full of old family heirlooms and memorabilia. We carefully sifted through dusty boxes, discovering old photographs and keepsakes along the way. It’s always a bit of a history lesson, and it’s fulfilling to help people find a new chapter for their belongings.

The Hands-On Work: Transforming Spaces

Arriving at a job site is like opening a new chapter in a book. Whether it’s a cluttered garage or a full-scale office cleanout, the transformation begins with a strategy. We approach each job with care and efficiency, making sure to sort items into categories: keep, donate, recycle, and discard. It’s a bit like playing a giant game of Tetris—fitting everything into the truck and making sure we’re respecting our environment.

One of the highlights of the day was helping a local school clear out outdated equipment and broken furniture. The school was thrilled to make room for new resources and create a more inviting learning environment for the kids. Seeing the smiles on their faces as we made progress was incredibly rewarding.

The Satisfaction of a Job Well Done

By late afternoon, the truck is usually brimming with a mix of old treasures and discarded items. We head to the recycling center or donation drop-off, making sure that what can be reused or repurposed finds a new life. It’s not just about clearing space—it’s about doing our part for the community and the planet.

After a long day of lifting, sorting, and organizing, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of winding down. I take a moment to reflect on the day’s work, and there’s always a sense of satisfaction in knowing that we’ve made a difference. The emails might start piling up again, but for now, it’s time to enjoy a well-earned dinner and perhaps a little relaxation.

To Wrap Things Up

Junk removal might not be the most glamorous job out there, but it’s one filled with unexpected joys and moments of connection. Whether it’s helping a family reclaim their attic or assisting a business in their quest for order, I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of these transformations. If you ever find yourself in need of a hand with your own clutter, remember that Junk Removal by Daniel John Mullaney is just a call away.

Thanks for joining me on this journey through a day in my life. Until next time, keep your spaces clutter-free and your spirits high!

Warm regards,

Daniel John Mullaney

[ambustested]

I'm feeling talkative tonight, so here's a last ramble.

I've always had complicated feelings about fandom and the line between art for oneself and art for profit, and the stuff that entails. In a way, fandom kinda feels like it can't ever really free itself from consumerism. Fandom is, for the most part, building off of works sold for profit, so in a way, by writing for fandom, aren't you kind of advertising for someone else's work?

Even if they're an indie creator, aren't you helping hawk their wares?Even if it's shakespeare, aren't you helping potentially sell a paper copy of "Macbeth"? I guess you can ask, is anything really free from being a commodity these days.

When it comes to fandom, I've always liked to avoid the buying and selling of things with money. I don't want to write for cash, though its been offered, and I receive and offer services (art, writing, proof reading) either as a trade, or goodwill, or appreciation for what someone has given to the community.

What I like about fandom is that it offers plenty of art, collaborative storytelling, and often without the pressure to be good. I think most artists want to make art that serves a purpose, in the sense that it represents their idea or vision, or helps discover something, have a sort of discussion.

I've always liked that people don't feel a pressure to say that thing well, sometimes the object is just to say it earnestly. No one else's input is considered.

When you sell something nowadays, I feel there's a lot of consideration for polish, for popularity, for virality. Fandom has often struck me as the misshapen bit of heirloom fruit left at the bottom of the supermarket bin. It's gone a little soft, is a weird mixture of colors, might smell just on the verge of being off , but trusting it enough to put in your sandwich might offer a uniquely flavorful experience.

I think there's something pretty great in bad art, art that is not easily sellable, art that builds upon the dregs of someone else's work. I guess it makes me think of composting, reusing familiar characters, themes, and worlds, and expanding, remixing, building something new. And I know, original work does exist, and I've read some great ones. I love finding indie comic artists and giving a bit to fund their work.

But part of what I like about fandom is that it's kinda just seen as a garbage pile. No one expects anything good, often not even the authors writing the darn thing. But by reading through a series works, you can sometimes see ideas about characters and worlds that develop and evolve and watch people build off each other, all for free, relatively ungatekept (luck providing). You can see people learn, experiment, go through phases, find what tangential works strike a chord with them.

I like looking at a fic and going "Oh that sounds bizarre" and finding, yeah it it is! But it also felt worth the read. Introduced a new perspective on a familiar character, interpreted a thematic element in a unique way, expanded on an underdeveloped plot point.

This ramble is nothing too original, but getting very deep into fandom meta discussion often gives me a headache because its hard to have a discussion about the facets of something's merit when you inevitably get a couple interjections of "There is no merit at all! Just buy a book!"

I could also go into expy's and how I really enjoy people who develop their own unique vision in a fandom so much it stands on its own as a unique IP, but maybe later....

[vetteldixon]

Sebastian Vettel’s full interview with Sport1, December 26 2021

Translated by DeepL, found here

SPORT1: Mr. Vettel, you are now 34 years old. Is it still all about winning a Formula 1 race at any price for you?

Sebastian Vettel: The sporting ambition is still there, but there are many more things besides that that you notice and deal with if you're an alert person. And the more experience you have, the more efficiently you can manage your time - and take care of other things, too. On top of that, my life as a family man is simply different today.

SPORT1: What has changed since you became the youngest World Champion of all time in 2010?

Vettel: First of all, I've gotten older, so it's normal that you hopefully don't stand still and continue to develop. Certain values have been dormant in you for a long time. But as you get older and more experienced, you live them out more openly and address them more directly. I definitely deal with different issues today than I did eleven years ago. It's about respect, standing up for things. You can't train something like that, but you can get more out of yourself if you deal with the issues more.

SPORT1: To what extent does being a parent change your view of the world and Formula 1?

Vettel: Very much. One example: When I started out, no one cared what I yelled into the helmet because hardly anyone could hear it. That's different today. I often get headwind for my emotions. It's comparable to the first reactions of soccer players on the field. I think you should live out your feelings and stand by them. But you don't have to shout "Sh****" ten times. You don't have to be a saint. But you should at least show that you want to be one. I also want to model a certain language for my children. But emotions remain important. Especially in sports. Sometimes you're happy, sometimes angry, sometimes sad. There's no shame in showing just that. But it's the way you show it that counts.

SPORT1: Is there anyone outside the cosmos of your life you admire?

Vettel: I'm not good at spontaneously naming names. What's much more decisive is: They exist. They are the ones who stand up, who can shake generations awake, who inspire so that we end up with a better world. Who would have thought that this young Swedish girl would shake up the consciousness of millions of people because she went on strike at school to point out the problems of our planet?

SPORT1: How important is it to stand by your values and ideals?

Vettel: It's like in politics: On the one hand, you should always keep the big picture in mind. Then it's easier to let certain things go in order to achieve the greater goal behind them. But there is a clear limit somewhere. With everything you do and say, you should still be able to look in the mirror. Let's take a funny example: If I were offered the chance to drive the fastest car in Formula 1 and thus guaranteed the next victory and title - but in return I would have to sit naked in the car - I would say: No, thanks! You have to stand up for your values and ideals. But everyone has to decide for themselves what they are willing to do for that.

SPORT1: You also take on responsibility within the sport: It was obvious that you played a kind of foster father to Mick Schumacher, the son of your sporting idol. Did you actually feel any responsibility toward him?

Vettel: Not really. Of course, the bond over Michael is there. But Mick comes from a very good family. He is a very sensible, well-mannered young man who is now ready to go his own way. He's doing that very well. His work ethic reminds me of his father. I sincerely wish him a car with which he can make more of a mark next year. But I'm more of a friend than someone who feels responsibility. You're always there for friends. That's why I have zero competitive feelings towards him and am happy to pass on my experience. I'm not the type to weigh everything in a paranoid way anyway, to have my own advantages and play games. It also doesn't make sense to me to withhold certain things from teammates. I tend to see the big picture, that we want to move forward as a team. Today, we're in a position to see everything transparently through data anyway.

SPORT1: As a friend, would you advise Mick to go to Ferrari one day, even though you yourself failed at the Scuderia?

Vettel: Yes, absolutely. Even though I didn't have any great success there. But I still had some great years. And the brand will always be something special. In any case, I wouldn't advise him against it because of the few things that didn't work out so well for me. People tend to always see the glass half empty in memories. I prefer to see it half full and the positive outweighs the negative. Too much complaining is misplaced, because all in all, we Formula 1 drivers are all doing very well.

SPORT1: Would you like to see your daughters and son follow in your footsteps one day as well?

Vettel: Not at the moment. That's also still far too far away. I want my children to be happy, whatever they do. I have zero expectations. I've seen so many people who have a lot of money and yet aren't happy. And vice versa. The bigger the bank balance, the happier you are - this formula is not true. I know many people who chase after big money. But when the checkered flag falls, there's no pot of luck. Luck is when you have fun. And that's what I want for my kids. I know it sounds romantic, especially if you have money yourself. But it's what I believe in. Then if it's really the case that they want to drive, then I would support them in that. But I wouldn't be sad if that's not the case either.

SPORT1: So it's a luxury problem if your Aston Martin isn't fast enough to win next year either?

Vettel: As a sportsman, I'm annoyed and do everything I can to make it faster. But it's not life-threatening, that's true. In that sense, it's a luxury problem. I don't have any existential problems and I can freely determine my life, like many others in Central Europe. However, that doesn't mean that I don't want to do everything I can in my own little sporting microcosm to win. Otherwise it would no longer make sense.

SPORT1: To what extent is leading Aston Martin to the top of Formula 1 also a form of responsibility?

Vettel: In a way, I feel that responsibility, yes. The motivation is there, we are trying to improve together and the team is trying to turn everything around that is possible. The new rules offer a great opportunity in 2022. But we also have to remain realistic and not talk about being the favorites, but look at how good our car is.

SPORT1: How long will you remain loyal to Formula 1 to get your message across?

Vettel: Of course you sometimes ask yourself the question of meaning. I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind yet. But I don't drive on just to get messages across. If I did, I wouldn't be true to myself and I wouldn't be as good. If I no longer feel the inner drive and ambition and only stick to it to convey messages or increase the bank balance, that would be a betrayal of the generation that is yet to come and live the dream. After all, I can still take care of certain issues if I ever stop driving. But the fire is still burning.

[quickspinner]

The Magic of You - Part 2

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | AO3

This was supposed to be sweet and fun and easy, and it is the first two I hope, but it was not easy and now there’s a part 3 in the works, so. Oopsie. 😆

Some sexytimes in this one, slightly less off screen than usual but still not detailed or explicit, and should be fairly easy to skim past.

“You’re in trouble,” Juleka sighed, leaning an elbow on the table and looking at him through the curtain of her hair. 

Luka didn’t answer her, humming as he replaced the strings on his instrument. He normally carried his gittern on his trips to the meadow, because it was small and light, but he had a mind to play his lute for Marinette tomorrow. 

“Luka.” Juleka kicked his foot. “Say something.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Juleka.” 

“Tell me you’re not falling for a girl who’s not even your species.” 

Luka didn’t look up, but he knew she could see his lopsided grin. “Can’t. Sorry.” 

“You barely know each other.” 

Luka hummed. “I’ve never heard a song as beautiful as hers. I know her, Jules. I don’t know a lot about her, but I know her...deep down, the core of who she is. She’s sweet and kind and...vibrant…” He trailed off, lost in thought, until Juleka kicked him again.

“She’s a literal snake, Luka!”

Luka frowned, finally looking directly at her. “She’s not a snake.” 

“Half-snake,” Juleka snorted, rolling her eyes.

“Don’t talk about her like that,” he said, and his clipped tone made Juleka’s eyes widen slightly. “She’s not half snake. She’s not half anything . She’s not a snake and she’s not human and she’s definitely not half snake-half human. Don’t make her sound like some kind of  construct, like two things somehow got mashed together in some weird magical accident. She’s not a freak, she’s just...herself. A complete being meant to be as she is.” He turned back to his work. “And she’s beautiful, just like that.” He pressed his lips together, jaw tight.

Juleka sighed. “I’m sorry. You’re right.” Luka’s tension eased, and he glanced up at her. She got up from the table, placing her palms on it as she leaned over to look him in the eye. “Also, you’re hopeless.” 

Luka chuckled as Juleka stalked off. “Fair.”

***

“Girl, you are in so much trouble.” 

“I am not,” Marinette protested, lashing out with the end of her tail. Alya dodged the half-hearted blow and giggled. 

“You liiiiiiike him,” Alya teased, twining around her friend with both tail and arms to hug her. “Admit it.” 

“Like him? Yes.” Marinette leaned into the embrace for just a moment, and then slid away. “Of course I like him,” Marinette huffed, coiling back on herself with her nose in the air as Alya made herself into a loose coil in the corner, draping her upper half over the angled rock there for that purpose. “He’s sweet. Very polite. He’s interesting, and I want to know more about his magic. His music is beautiful. He’s handsome for a human.” Marinette shrugged. “Maybe I have a little crush, but that’s all.” 

“Mmhmm. And if he was a naga?” Alya leaned her chin on her hand and gave a fangy grin. “Would it still be a little crush then?” 

Marinette flushed deep red. She couldn’t deny that she had thought about it. Imagined what Luka would look like with a sleek black scaled body instead of legs, or what fangs would look like in his knowing smile. Maybe she’d fantasized a little bit about eyes in that exact shade of deep blue, with slit pupils slowly widening into near-circles as she teased and tortured him— 

It hadn’t felt right, though, imagining him as something other than he was. The fangs spoiled the gentleness of his smile, and he would move differently if he had a tail, and she loved the soft, content expression in his eyes when he looked at her. Luka had a quiet strength of his own, but there was nothing predatory or dangerous about him. He was fearless without being threatening, and Marinette found that very, very attractive. There was none of that contentious, dominating element of naga courtship that she had never before managed to navigate. Luka had made it clear from the beginning that he respected her and what she could do. She’d never had to prove to him that she had the strength to bear and protect a clutch, nor establish that she would not be dominated or intimidated by a mate, and his own easy confidence in her presence convinced her of his strength—of power and character, if not of body. With a jolt, Marinette suddenly understood that without realizing it, or likely even intending it, Luka had slipped past her guard and straight into the sweetest part of courtship, the learning and the teaching, the teasing and the wooing, and she suddenly realized that this little crush she had been indulging might be more serious than she had meant to let it get. 

“I’m in trouble,” Marinette sighed, sinking down onto her coils to mope. Alya patted her back sympathetically. 

***

She felt a little shy the next time Luka appeared in her meadow. She tried to greet him with the same cheerfulness as usual, but he still looked at her with those knowing eyes, tilting his head slightly. 

“Is everything all right?” Luka asked, leaning toward her a little. He reached to tuck a lock of her hair behind her pointed ear, and though the touch was light, the feel of it lingered on her cheek and ear. 

“Yes,” she breathed, and then blushed, looking away. “I’m just...happy to see you.” She glanced back at him to see his reaction, and the grin that spread over his face was gratifying to say the least. 

“I’m always happy to see you,” he said, and then seemed to hesitate. “In fact, I was wondering—would it be all right if I came to see you more often? Not for the magic. Just to see you. I’d...really like to spend more time with you, if that’s okay.” 

Marinette held in a very undignified squeal, and gave him a broad smile, fangs fully in evidence. “I’d like that.” 

“Good,” Luka smiled back at her. “I was hoping you’d say that.” 

Heart pounding, Marinette could feel a giggle bubbling up. She launched herself forward at striking speed and coiled loosely around Luka. He started at the sudden movement but otherwise just looked over his shoulder at her, chin tilting up as she raised herself to look at the instrument strapped to his back. “This is new,” she observed, fingers hovering over the wood. She felt shy of touching it without his permission and drew her hand back. 

“I thought I’d play something different for you today,” he said, and she tilted her head slightly as she looked at him. His voice had gone deeper, and there was a pink tinge to his face, like he had been out in the sun too long. Except he wasn’t even out of the shadows of the trees yet, and…

She watched his throat bob as he swallowed, and felt a flutter in her belly. 

“I like different,” she dared, sinking down again, but making no move to unwind from around him. 

She saw his little tongue come out to wet his lips as he turned forward again. “Me too.” Marinette decided she liked that deep voice very much. She let the giggle escape this time, and swept around him to take his hands. 

“Then come and do your work so you can play for me,” she said, slithering back and drawing him with her. 

“I can do my work and play for you,” he smiled, following her lead willingly. 

Marinette let go of him and made herself comfortable by the rock, but instead of lounging on it as he usually did, he took his instrument off and lowered himself onto the grass with his back to the rock, then tilted his chin at her in invitation. A little shyly, Marinette shifted herself to bring her torso next to him. “That’s better,” he murmured, his long fingers drawing the first notes from the strings, checking the tune. He paused to lay out his little line of crystals beside him, and Marinette leaned over him. 

“Does the magic work with any kind?” she wanted to know. 

“Not any kind, but many,” Luka replied, seeming unbothered by the way she had draped over him to look, even when she ever so casually rested a clawed hand on his chest to steady herself. “Some work better than others. Some regular customers have favorites that they like to reuse. Some mages find that certain types of crystals work better for them. I can work with most things, but some are easier than others. Mostly though, we just get whatever my sister, Juleka, can buy for us when the miner’s guild rep comes through.” He shrugged. “When it comes to business, I have to work with the supply.” 

“That makes sense,” Marinette said, easing back. “Sorry. For interrupting.” 

“No need,” he smiled, strumming again. “I have all day, and excellent company. I am in no hurry.” He held her gaze for a moment, and Marinette would have sworn that her heart stopped. She hadn’t realized she was still leaning so close to him. She drew back a little, and was glad when he shifted his gaze and let his eyes fall nearly shut as he sank into the music and the magic. She needed some time to compose herself, before she did anything else foolish. She would have to think of a way to get back at him for being so...so charming . 

And she’d have plenty of chances, because he was coming to the meadow more often. He wanted to see her more. She gave an excited little wiggle that rippled down the length of her body, and then glanced at him to make sure he hadn’t noticed. His eyes were still closed, and she took a moment to admire him openly. Yes, he was plenty handsome, just as he was, and his aura radiated peace and comfort. 

Maybe it wouldn’t be the life she had imagined for herself, but if it was like this...she crushed that thought before it could go any further. She reached for the workbasket she’d left on the ground beside the rock, and pulled out some leatherwork she’d been meaning to get done. She glanced at Luka one more time and smiled. 

***

Juleka was right, and Luka knew it. He was hopeless. His hands shook slightly as he made the walk to the clearing on his next free day. This would be his first purely social visit to Marinette, without even the pretense of work to hide behind. He was here, purely and simply, because he wanted to see her, and he’d made sure she knew it, and now he would see...he thought he would see, if this was indeed the first step of shifting their relationship toward something more than friendship. 

He put a hand against his heart, feeling it flutter in time with the butterflies in his stomach. This was what he had always loved about love, the way that it quickened his breath and sharpened his senses, but there was more to it than that with Marinette. She was so vibrant and alive, bubbling with curiosity and creativity and with such a unique way of looking at things—he could listen to her talk for hours and never get tired of her stories and her ideas, nor did he tire of answering her questions about himself and his family. He wanted her to know him, and he treasured up everything he learned about her in a heart that had begun to ache for her presence when they were apart. 

And he thought...he thought that maybe she...

He took the last few steps from the trees into the meadow, and Marinette, draped over the great couch-like stone in the middle, immediately looked up. Her face lit up like one of his glowing power crystals the second she laid eyes on him, and his heart soared and he opened his arms instinctively even as he tried to quash the rising hope in him. Marinette’s scales whisked along the grass and then she was colliding with him hard enough to knock him off his feet. That surprised her, and they both went down in a heap. Marinette managed to catch him in her coils in such a way as to protect the instrument strapped on his back, and for a moment they both blinked at each other. Marinette smiled sheepishly, one fang poking out adorably between her lips. “Oops. I...forgot you were human.” She winced. “I mean, of course I know that, it’s just—well, we’re a lot harder to tip over.” 

Luka began to laugh, one hand reaching up to cradle her cheek as he lost himself in her eyes, eyes that should have been strange and foreign but to him, were simply beautiful. “Forgiven.”  

Marinette smiled and tightened her hold on his arms, and then Luka wasn’t exactly sure what happened. It reminded him of being on his mother’s boat when the water was what she called “sporty.” It only lasted a moment, though, and then he was sitting upright on the grass in the curve of Marinette’s serpentine body. He had a giddy moment of disorientation; he always forgot how big she was compared to him, because so much of her body was often hidden in the grass and she tended to carry herself lower to the ground, so that she was shorter than him. Clearly no matter how lost his heart was, his head still had some work to do on remembering that she was not human. 

“Better?” she asked, sliding her hands down his arms and looking him over. “I didn’t hurt you, did I? Or your lute?” 

“I’m fine,” Luka smiled, carefully catching her clawed hands as they began to slide away. “I’m happy to see you.”

“I’m happy to see you too,” she said shyly, and he felt her shifting behind him—curling closer, he thought, and tried not to jump as the tip of her tail curled up over his thigh. “What did you want to do today? Since you don’t have to work.” 

“Anything,” Luka smiled. “What do you do when I’m not here invading your meadow?” 

“Miss you,” she said coyly, and then blushed, and quickly unwound herself from him and slithered away. “Come on, it’s too cool here in the shade.”  

Luka was frozen for a moment, caught off guard by her sudden boldness. Only when she curled around the base of the rock where he usually sat and propped her arms on it, peeking shyly at him over them, did he manage to move.

Don’t get ahead of yourself, Luka told himself as he got rather unsteadily to his feet . They were, after all, very different, and a summer romance, or even just a summer flirtation, might be the most that could ever happen between them. 

Oh, but he wanted at least that much, if she was willing to give it to him, so he went to the rock and laid down on his belly, folding his own arms under his chin as he blinked slowly at her. 

She giggled. “Now that’s almost the proper way to lounge on a sunning stone,” she teased him. 

“Not so convenient for playing though,” Luka chuckled, and had to swallow at the way her eyes softened.

“Well,” she said, lifting up a little, and tracing random patterns on the stone with her fingers. “You don’t have to play, if you don’t want to. We could just...talk. Or enjoy the sun.” 

Luka hummed. “You don’t seem like the type of person who just lounges in the sun.” 

Marinette turned her nose up. “I”m a nagi. I spend a lot of time lounging in the sun, for your information.”

“Of course,” Luka agreed. “But you don’t just lounge, do you.” He leaned a little over the side of the rock and looked pointedly at a basket resting at the base. He looked up at Marinette and smirked, his face inches from hers. 

Marinette’s cheeks went pink. “There’s nothing wrong with keeping busy.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything else from you,” Luka smiled, propping his chin up in his fist. 

“You think you know me so well,” Marinette pouted.

“Not yet, but I’m hoping to,” Luka said, his eyes on hers. “Will you show me what you’re working on?” he asked, breaking the gaze. 

Blushing hard, Marinette bent to pick up the basket that had been sitting on the grass and set it up on the rock to show him the leatherwork she had brought to do in the sunny meadow. He watched her, content and happy as she described her plan for the jerkin that was in pieces in the basket, a gift for a dear friend. 

“Will you...play for me?” she asked, settling down with her work at the foot of the rock. “If you want to. If you’d rather take a break for today, that’s okay too, I know you must play a lot so it’s completely up to you—”

“I would love to play for you,” he interrupted gently. “What would you like to hear?”

Marinette blushed. “Could you play...me? I want to hear...what you hear. If that’s okay. Like you did the first time you spoke to me.”  

“I can’t play you as you were then,” he smiled. “But I could play as you are now, if you don’t mind me touching your mind as I did before. Your feelings, as I said, not your thoughts.” He saw her hesitation, and added, “Or I can play something else. It’s up to you.”  

Marinette considered, and finally said, “I don’t mind. I’d like to hear it. I’d think I’d like for you to hear the way I feel right now.” She ducked her head a little, and Luka chuckled. 

“Music is often simpler than words.” 

“Especially when you use magic to sense emotions,” Marinette snorted, and stuck her tongue out at him. Luka laughed at the way it flickered in the air, but quickly sobered again.

“There is something I should probably tell you about that,” he said, looking away for a moment before he gathered his courage to meet her eyes again. “When I first meet someone, I have to be tranced to hear anything, and I have to work to find their song out of all the ones I’m hearing. But, the more I get to know somebody, and to know their song, the easier it is for me to pick it out. I’m already very aware of you just from coming here so often. Eventually, if we keep spending time together, I won’t have to trance at all to hear you.” 

Marinette seemed to take that in. “So...you’ll be able to read my emotions all the time?”

“If I listen, yeah,” Luka nodded. “I can try not to, but it’s...difficult sometimes.” He felt his face flush. “Especially if it’s someone I feel strongly about. Sometimes I don’t realize that I’m doing it.” He hesitated. “Is that...does it bother you? I mean, if it’s a problem, I can...I can stay away. I’ll understand, if you would rather not—”

Marinette placed one clawed hand over his, and he stopped, swallowing, at the way she was looking at him. “I don’t want you to stay away,” she told him, low and earnest. “That’s not what I want at all. This sensing, it’s a part of you, so I’m not afraid of it. I trust you.” 

Luka turned his hand over to take hers, and lifted it to press his lips against her palm. “Thank you,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “Not everyone is so understanding.” 

Marinette blushed, and butted her head against his shoulder, hiding her face for a moment. 

Luka cleared his throat. “Shall I play for you now?” 

Marinette looked up, and smiled shyly. “Please.” 

He settled back, played his key tune, and sank into the magic of the meadow and of Marinette beside him. He found her song in the meadow’s symphony, and began to play along with it—not to replicate it, exactly, for it had a richness that he didn’t think his simple instrument could capture, but to follow the flow of her feelings and the underlying melody of Marinette herself. He smiled, slightly, pleased at what he sensed from her. Happiness, hopefulness, affection, and a sparkling thread of nervousness and anticipation that matched the feeling buzzing along his own veins. 

He lost himself in the music and the energy of Marinette and this, her place, and began to explore the way his own melded with it. His attention returned to Marinette when the tune of her mood shifted. He shifted with it, following the new feeling with his music, and he found himself playing something richer, warmer, more rhythmic—his eyes flew open wide and his trance shattered. He looked at Marinette, but she was looking very intently at the embroidery in her hands, seemingly not paying attention to him at all...but he could see her peek at him from under her hair and away. 

“What were you thinking about just then?” he asked, as if compelled, though he knew it was none of his business.

Marinette flushed a deep red, and he watched in fascination as it spread down her neck and down the exposed V of skin above her collar—he snapped his eyes back up to her face and swallowed, and hoped she hadn’t caught the trend of his gaze.  

“I wasn’t thinking about anything,” she lied blatantly, and then her eyes darted toward him, giving him a look through her lashes that quickened his pulse.  “I was just...admiring your playing.” 

Oh . He licked his lips unconsciously, and saw her own tongue flicker out as she watched him out of the corner of her eye.

He cleared his throat and put his instrument hastily away. “May I see how it’s coming along?” he asked, sliding over to the edge of the rock to get a look at her work. Marinette rose up, coiling her body under her so that she was effectively sitting beside him, and let him admire the pieces. If he leaned a little closer than necessary, she didn’t seem to mind, and they spoke in quiet, intimate tones, even though the clearing was empty besides themselves. 

It seemed hardly any time had passed when Luka looked up at the sun and sighed. “I must go,” he told Marinette regretfully. “I will come again—if you still wish me to.” 

“I do,” Marinette replied with a smile, making no move away from him, though they had been sitting quite close. 

Luka’s heartbeat quickened, and his gaze flicked down to her full, pretty lips. With an effort, he tore himself away, turning to pick up his lute and strap it to his back. “Then I shall come as soon as may be,” he said, picking up her hand instead and cradling it for a moment in his own. Farewell for now, Marinette. Be safe, until I see you again.” 

“Shouldn’t I be saying that to you?” Marinette grinned, baring her fangs. 

Luka chuckled. “Nothing in this forest could keep me from coming back to you,” he told her boldly, and smiled at her blush. “Until then.” He squeezed her hand, and got to his feet, giving her a little bow as he took his leave. He felt her eyes on him until he disappeared in the trees. Only then did he fully let loose the dreamy smile he’d been trying to keep under control. When he pressed his hand over his heart, it was pounding instead of fluttering.

***

Luka was true to his word, and came often now. The days without him found Marinette pouting and discontented, though she always had plenty to do. She spent hardly any time in her lair, but that was hardly remarkable in summer, when her meadow was so pleasant and beautiful, full of growing things, and beginning to show the marks of Luka’s presence even in his absence. She treasured those little proofs, the marks of his heavy boots in the grass, or the wood shavings from his whittling while he spoke to her, the quill plectrums he occasionally left behind. 

She was growing more foolish by the day, and yet Marinette couldn’t quite help herself. The more time she spent with Luka, the more she wanted to coil around him, rub up against him, tempt him into touching her with those rough fingers that played so beautifully. 

Luka didn’t seem to mind, and even seemed to welcome her attentions as much as he was able, though she doubted he really understood the signals she was sending. Still, the way his hands brushed against her scaled body in little, encouraging touches spurred her to further boldness, and no matter how often she got flustered and retreated, he never teased her about it. 

She wanted him. She thought she might...love him. Even Alya had stopped teasing her, watching her now with a worried expression. 

If she wanted the life she always thought she’d have, the life everyone expected her to have, the smart thing to do would be to send Luka away. 

But Marinette couldn’t...and part of her wondered if that was her answer.

***

“Luka,” Marinette gasped, looking at the bolt of soft grey doeskin leather he’d laid in her arms. “This is beautiful.” 

Luka watched her face as she touched the soft leather, basking in her happiness. “You like it? It’s yours. I brought it for you.”

Her lovely mouth opened, but nothing came out, and Luka’s grin widened. 

“Your smile is all the thanks I need,” he told her, curling his fingers under her chin. “You have a beautiful smile.” 

She blushed, and Luka held her gaze for just a moment before dropping his. He picked up her hand and kissed her palm, and then pressed his lips to the inside of her wrist, feeling her pulse flutter against his lips. Her hand curved to cup his cheek, and he leaned into her touch, dragging his fingertips lightly down the inside of her arm. 

“I should put this somewhere safe,” Marinette murmured, and Luka made no protest as she moved away, only sighing as he lounged back on the sunning rock. His instrument and packs were set aside for the moment, but for once, he didn’t want to play—only to listen as he watched  Marinette pause on her way back to examine some of her flowers. He admired through half-closed eyes the colors in her serpent scales and the graceful arc she made as she bent to look at the blossoms. He started slightly as she made one of those quick movements that always surprised him, doubling back on herself to glide back to him over the grass. 

“You know,” she said, rising up around the sloped side of the rock where he was leaning, so that he had to look up at her. Her hair fell around her face and tickled his temples. “This is my sunning stone you’re always lounging all over.” 

“Perhaps you should come and join me then,” Luka suggested, raising his eyebrows slightly. “I think there’s room for us both, if you don’t mind being close.”

She seemed to consider that for a moment, and then she shifted up and over the rock, turning until her human torso pressed next to his, and the rest of her body followed, draping beside and around him. He shifted the little bit he could to make more room for her, and watched in fascination the play of muscle rippling along her length as she tucked her body next to and around him.  

Carefully, moving slowly, Luka slid his arm around her human waist, tugging her nearer, and she relaxed against his side with a quiet hum of contentment. Her slit pupils went wider, rounder, as his fingers stroked her lightly. 

“Not so bad, is it?” Luka asked with a smile, and she pressed closer against him, smiling back. 

“I could get used to it,” she sighed, and laid her head on his shoulder. “You’re warm.” She poked him in the belly with a knuckle. “Because you stole my sunning rock.” 

“It’s a good rock,” Luka chuckled, and then arched up slightly with a gasp as Marinette’s hand slid across his chest and she settled more fully against him, making a sleepy noise. He raised his eyebrows. “Marinette?” 

“Ssssleepy,” she hissed, and he bit his lip, though his chest shook under her with his chuckle.

“You should have told me you were so tired,” he chided softly, though he didn’t think she would hear him. 

“Not tired,” she mumbled. “Just warm. Comfy. Sleepy.” 

Hmm , Luka thought. Must be a naga thing . Not that he minded. He was more than happy to cuddle with her, feeling privileged to hold her as she slept. He could think of worse ways to spend a beautiful afternoon than napping in the sun with his...whatever they were. But then, whatever he was to her, she was his beloved, and he was only waiting for the right moment to tell her so. 

Her steady, even breathing told him that now was not that moment.

Chuckling, Luka dropped his free hand to fish in his clothes for a handkerchief. He finally found it, and let his head fall carefully back against the rock. He put the handkerchief over his face to shield himself from the sun, and sighed, stroking Marinette’s waist gently, fingers running over skin and scales. It was pleasant here in the sun, with Marinette soft and supple against him. She roused slightly, shifted, and swatted at his hand. 

“Stop that,” she complained sleepily. 

“Sorry.” Luka stilled his hand. “Ticklish?” He was close enough to sleep that her song teased the edge of his consciousness, sultry and... oh —his eyes flew open under his cloth, and the song slipped away. It didn’t matter though because he felt the vibrations of Marinette’s laughter in his chest, as her hand slid teasingly down to rest lower on his belly.

“No,” she murmured. “Definitely not ticklish.” 

He swallowed. “Oh.” She giggled again, and he felt her tongue flick against his neck, and her nose nuzzled his jaw. 

“You smell good,” she sighed, cuddling closer, and then she was asleep again.

Luka picked up her hand, moving it back up to his chest and breathing slowly as he tried to calm himself after that unexpected discovery. He would have to be more careful how he touched her. He had no idea that he was touching a sensitive place. He was lucky she hadn’t shoved him off the rock, but...she hadn’t. He’d been touching her intimately, turning her on, and she hadn’t done anything more than tease him about it. She hadn’t even really made him move his hand away, just insisted he stop moving. 

He was glad she was asleep, because his heart was suddenly pounding beneath her hand. She shifted slightly even as he thought it, which didn’t help matters. He closed his eyes and did a breathing exercise, shifting his focus to his magic, calling the song of the meadow into his mind. It took some time, but he managed to calm his body, and then, focusing on Marinette’s deep breathing and the scent of her hair, to drift off into a light doze himself. 

He woke at the soft brush of the handkerchief sliding off his face. Blinking, he found Marinette’s face inches from his. She was propped up on the slope of the rock next to him, but she was half on top of him, folded arms leaning on his chest as she looked at him. He smiled slowly. “Hi.” 

Marinette giggled. “You snore.”

Luka snorted, amused. “So would you, with your head tilted back that way.” He made a face as he tilted his head, stretching his stiff neck. “Ow.” 

Marinette made a sympathetic noise, and nuzzled his jaw, which woke him up considerably and reminded him of what he’d been thinking before he fell asleep. “It was a lovely nap, for me,” she said. “You’re very comfortable.” 

“High praise,” Luka sighed, and smiled at her, taking a breath as he gathered his courage. “May I ask you something? About nagas. I’ve been reading, but...human texts, you know. Biased.” 

She made an inquisitive noise, toying with the lacing of his shirt. “Ask.”

“Do nagas kiss?” he asked, and fought to hide his amusement as Marinette’s eyes widened slightly in surprise and her cheeks pinked. She looked away for just a moment and then fixed her gaze on him, shifting a bit higher so that her face was level with his, leaning an elbow by his head. She was so close he could have counted the pale, barely-there freckles across her nose, if he could’ve made himself look away from her eyes. 

“Yes,” she chuckled, “But maybe not quite like you.” She winked at him and flicked her long tongue out, and he felt his own cheeks flush. 

“Good to know,” he said, and had to clear his throat. 

“Why?” she asked, tilting her head slightly. “Do you want to kiss me?”

If he hadn’t been blushing before, he would be now, but he kept his eyes on her and admitted, “I really want to kiss you.” 

Marinette’s eyes widened, and so did the slits of her pupils, and he felt her go tense all along her long body, everywhere it was pressed against his. Moving slowly, he brought his hand up and cupped her cheek. A quick tremor went down her body, and her hands flexed against his chest as she leaned into his touch. “May I?” he asked, 

She nodded, and he drew her to him, leaning up to meet her as much as he could while she was still leaning on his chest. He kissed her lightly, brushing his lips against hers, and then kissed her again, still softly but firmer and more lingering. He felt an intense thrill at the feel of her fangs behind those plush lips and kissed her harder without meaning to. He drew back, relishing the sound of the soft click. 

He watched, enchanted, as Marinette’s eyes fluttered open and she looked at him, a shy smile curling her lips. Luka was fighting the grin that wanted to spread from ear to ear, trying to keep it to something sane and not frightening, when Marinette’s face fell slightly. Cold fear settled in his stomach as her brow furrowed.  

“Humans,” she paused. “Humans kiss family, right? Friends? It’s not—I mean—you don’t—” 

Quickly Luka picked up her hand and pressed his lips to the back of it. “Humans kiss friends or family like this,” he murmured, and then leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Or this. Or…” He kissed her temple, and then her forehead. “Like that. But this—” He kissed her lips again, harder and longer than before, the hand still on her cheek sliding back into her hair to tilt her to a better angle. “That,” he breathed, “is for lovers. Or...people hoping to become lovers. Courting couples.” 

Marinette stared at him for a moment, cheeks pink and lips reddened, and he watched that beautiful mouth as it opened slightly and then formed to make her quiet, “ Oh. ” Her tongue flickered nervously, distractingly. “Are we courting?” 

Luka forced his gaze back up to her eyes. “I am definitely courting you,” he said with a grin, and then sobered as he watched her flustered reaction, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly, and the sudden, restless shifting of her serpentine body. “Should I stop?” he asked, as gently as he could, though his pulse was pounding in his ears. 

“No,” she whispered, leaning closer, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards. “Don’t stop.” 

Relief made him urgent as he pulled her back and kissed her again, wrapping an arm around her back to keep her close. He felt her own arms slide up around his neck, her body pressing him back against the stone. Her tongue flickered against his lips, and he parted his lips to return the gesture. Her tongue filled his mouth before he could do anything, and he made a rather embarrassing noise. Marinette drew back and looked at him, adorably pink except for her reddened lips. “Sorry,” she said breathlessly. “Did I—”

“You’re fine,” he told her. “You’re amazing. Do it again?” 

Giggling, Marinette kissed him again, and this time her tongue flickered in his mouth and made him chuckle. “Hold still?” he asked, the next time they broke, and Marinette did as he pressed his mouth to hers, and then slipped his own tongue inside her mouth, mindful of her fangs. The noise she made and the way her hands flexed against his chest were ample compensation for the danger as far as Luka was concerned. She held absolutely still until he withdrew, and then she came alive with a small whimper, wrapping her arms around his neck as her body slid into his lap to bring her closer. 

The kissing went on, a soft, slow, sensual exploration. Luka flinched and Marinette froze at the taste of blood on her tongue. 

“Oh no,” Marinette gasped, brushing a thumb over his lip and looking at the bright smear on her thumb in horror. 

Luka just laughed quietly. “It’s okay, it’s just a scratch.”

“But I hurt you,” she said, clearly upset. Luka caught her hand and twined his fingers through hers, reaching up to cup her cheek in his other hand. 

“We could as easily say I hurt myself,” he teased. “It’s not as if I wasn’t an active participant. It’s okay. It’s probably going to happen. I don’t mind. I think it would feel too much like a dream otherwise.”

Marinette just stared at him unhappily. Luka sighed, and then smiled at her smiling as he lifted the fingers of one hand to his lips, and hummed a quiet tune. In a flash of blue light, the cut was gone. 

“See?” he grinned. “Now will you kiss me again?”

Marinette moved towards him, but hesitantly. 

There was nothing hesitant in the way Luka kissed her, though, and after a moment she melted back into him with a helpless noise that shot straight down his spine. 

It was hard, leaving her that day, even as he whispered promises to come again soon between sweet, soft kisses from already bruised lips. He could hear, faintly, her song, swelling with her joy—joy to be with him , to be cared for by him, and his own soul sang with it. 

Juleka took one look at him when he got home and groaned. “Don’t tell me, I don’t want to hear it,” she grumbled.

“Oh, it’s so romantic though,” Rose sighed.

Luka ignored them both. 

***

There was a lot of kissing, after that day. They spent hours tangled together on the big rock, sleeping, kissing, and talking in turn. Sometimes he teased her and Marinette chased him playfully around the meadow, reveling in his laugh and the joy in his voice. He brought a ball one day and set up a frame with sticks, and they had a day full of laughter as they tried to adapt the game he knew into something she could play. He kept tripping over her tail and eventually they just ended up tangled together in the grass, laughing so hard they were breathless even before the kissing started.

He brought her more gifts. It was a custom among courting humans, he said, which made Marinette blush when she thought of the gifts she had left him before they officially met. He’d brought a package of his favorite sweets for her to try, some dye plants that grew in one of the other places he drew magic from, and flowers that she had never seen before from a garden he’d visited. All of his gifts were thoughtful and precious, and Marinette felt rather spoiled.

She came up with a plan, and worked eagerly on it on the days he didn’t visit her. He’d complained to her before that the pouch he used for his magic crystals had a habit of slipping from his belt if he wasn’t paying attention, and she had noticed it was rather worn. Marinette was delighted at the way Luka’s jaw dropped when she presented him with a new leather pouch, with sturdy loops to hang on his belt and a fold over flap that buckled so he didn’t have to remove it to open it. She had embroidered it all over in the blues and greens he seemed to favor. She had only been slightly annoyed when the silly man wouldn’t stop kissing her long enough to put it on. 

It gave her a little thrill to see him wearing it now, and the little smile he wore whenever he opened it or stowed his crystals away made her heart flutter happily, especially when he looked up from it to gaze softly at her.

That almost always led to more kissing, and that was just a bonus.

They were napping together on the rock again, after trading lazy kisses and touches that had been growing steadily bolder. She no longer moved away when his rough fingers played along the transition between scales and skin, setting her nerves alight, and he permitted her touch anywhere she dared to bestow it, whether with her hands or lips or her body. She quite enjoyed teasing him, and he made it clear that he enjoyed it too. She took a special delight in the way he tensed when she slid across his lap, and the way his big hands flexed on her, the slight jump of his hips. Not that she was any better when he stroked his big hands along her body, looking at her with an intensity in his eyes that melted her on the spot. 

Marinette woke first, and roused herself with a stretch, before settling back against Luka’s chest. She had made him a little pillow to go behind his neck, to keep him from hurting himself in their little naps, and he wasn’t snoring now. She slipped away the bit of cloth he always covered his face with and admired the lines of his nose and jaw. She reached up to play with the strands of his hair. In sleep like this, he looked so delicate. 

Delicate he may seem to her physically, but the strength of his character was more than enough to satisfy both her heart and her instincts. Those instincts were growing harder to resist by the day. Alya had given Marinette a horrified look the other day, when she found Marinette humming and sewing pillows to line the rock hollow where she slept—pillows that a naga had no need of.

“I like the feeling,” Marinette lied with a nonchalant shrug.

“You’re nesting ,” Alya had accused with narrowed eyes. 

“Don’t be silly,” Marinette had sniffed, and turned her back, and refused to answer anything else. 

Because if Alya knew...oh if Alya knew the kind of urges Marinette was fighting when she was with Luka...well. 

Marinette reached out one clawed finger and ran the back of it down his temple and across his cheek, causing him to stir slightly. His hips raised up against her, where she was draped across him, and he moaned softly. Marinette slid her body up his and kissed him, softly at first, and then deeply when he woke and began to respond to her, his hands going to her waist, and then sliding up to her ribs. He moved against her again, and his arms tightened around her. 

Marinette pulled back, pushing Luka back down as he made to follow her. He blinked at her sleepily, lids heavy with sleep and, she was sure, desire.

He desired her. 

“I could kill you,” she murmured, her fingertips stroking lightly down his face. His eyes, though half-closed eyes, were focused on her. Luka lifted his chin so that her fingers slid down onto his throat. She felt his pulse under her fingers, only the thinnest of barriers between her claws and his life’s blood pounding through his veins. If she slashed, he would not even be able to sing himself well. Yet he lay there, calm and unafraid, yearning towards her instead of cringing away. Gods, she wanted him. 

Marinette’s breath quickened and her pupils broadened. She laid her forehead against his and her tongue flicked out of its own accord to scent the scent air between them. “Fool,” she whispered harshly, with just the slightest tightening of her fingers. 

Luka chuckled, and she felt the vibration of his voice against her fingers. “So I’ve been told.” 

Did he know what he was doing to her? Should she tell him? This was dangerous territory, far more than the harmless flirting, the little chases and the touches that could mean anything or nothing, even the kissing that said they were more than friends, even more than the spiraling tension between them that made her insides heat and made her crave his hands and mouth on her. She couldn’t let him make gestures like this as if it were nothing.

Especially when she didn’t want it to be nothing. She didn’t want it to be meaningless. It was wrong of her to let this happen. She didn’t need to mark him to satisfy the desire burning between them. She didn’t need to claim him, but...

Even as she thought these things she was lowering her head. She felt him gasp as she pressed her lips to the hollow of his throat. She shifted slightly, opening her mouth and feeling her fangs come forward to hover over his skin. 

He was breathing hard beneath her, but she scented no fear on him, only…

What she scented made her eyes dilate further, her coils shift and tighten with the urge to wrap around him. As she struggled with herself, Luka’s hand slid up from her waist, up her back to twist his fingers into her hair as his body arched against her, and her tongue flickered again, bringing in that intoxicating scent. Luka moaned as it tickled his skin. 

“You should be frightened,” she breathed against neck.

“I’m terrified,” he rasped, and his thick voice sent a shiver through her. “You frighten me more than anything in this life.” She felt him swallow. “Because I love you, and the more time I spend with you, the more terrified I am that I will never be happy without you again.” 

Marinette keened into his neck, a shiver going down her whole body. “I want to keep you,” she admitted roughly. “I shouldn’t, but I want to.” 

“You already have me,” he said roughly, his grip on her hair tightening. “I don’t need promises. We don’t have to decide forever right now.” The hand on her waist moved away, and he gently pulled her clawed hand from his throat and twined his fingers through hers. “I want you. If you want me—”

She surged up, fangs finally settling back, and kissed him fiercely, filling his mouth with her tongue. “Yes,” she panted against him, finally letting herself wrap around his waist.  

“Then we need to get the hell off this rock,” Luka laughed into her mouth, tugging on her hair to bare her throat where he could lavish kisses along it. He nipped her lightly with his blunt teeth and she jolted and let out a moan of her own. “Right now.” 

Marinette giggled, and flipped them off onto the soft grass, cushioning him with her body.

“What shall I do with you?” she teased, hovering over him, and her tongue flicked out rapidly, tickling his ear and the line of his jaw and the hollow of his throat. He let out a little moan.

“Anything. Everything. Just don’t rip my clothes,” he chuckled. “I’m going to have to walk home eventually.” 

Marinette laughed, rising up above him as she tugged loose the laces holding her vest closed. “What makes you think you’re still going to be able to walk?” she asked, as she slid the garment off her shoulders and dropped it carelessly in the grass. 

Luka, staring up at her, could only make a strangled noise in reply.

Marinette swooped down and kissed him, pressing herself into him as she buried one hand in his hair and drew the other firmly down his chest to rest low on his belly. “Now take these off,” she ordered, claws flexing against the cloth. “Or I make no promises about ripping them.” 

Luka caught her face in his hands and pulled her back into a fierce kiss that had her moaning against him. “Let me up,” he growled, and she did, sliding off of him and backing up until he had the space to stand and unlace his shirt and pants. Marinette watched him undress hungrily, his eyes burning her in return. Yet, when he held his arms out for her, she felt suddenly shy, and glided up to him, not with reluctance, but with something like reverence. 

“You are beautiful,” she sighed, fingers tracing the lines of muscle down his chest. She sank lower as she ran her fingers along his hips and down his legs, fascinated. “You’re shaking,” she observed, tongue flicking out, but she still tasted no fear on him. She looked up at him as his fingers combed through her hair, and the look he was giving her sent her own pupils wide and round.

Luka’s knees buckled and he sank to the grass in front of her, catching her face to pull her to him in a fierce, hungry kiss. One hand reached to stroke the place on her waist where scales met skin, while the other guided her hand back to his leg. She pressed her fingers into his warm, soft skin, mindful of her sharp claws. He was strong here, muscle hard beneath his skin, flexing under her touch as he moved against her. Her head tipped back and her lips parted, and he moaned as she rubbed up against him. She sank back in the grass with a needy whine, pulling him with her. 

There was some fumbling, and some adjustment, and some breathless, helpless giggles that melted into messy, deep kissing, but when they got it right, when they found the rhythm...it was magic. Shuddering and writhing, Marinette remembered just in time to dig her claws into the ground instead of his shoulders, and the cry he made seemed to sink into her soul, and she had just enough wit left to wonder if it was the magic of his voice or just the sound of his pleasure that shot through her, before she lost herself completely with a cry of her own. 

Her coils loosened and relaxed where they had tightened around him, and slipped down to puddle inelegantly on the ground. The two of them lay in a heap, quivering and panting. They squirmed around until they could hold each other, and then gave into the weakness, laying there in blissful contentment. 

Marinette reached up, and brushed a hand along her neck. The skin there was tender, but not broken. Not marked. Not claimed.

Of course not. 

But she felt claimed, when Luka’s eyes fluttered open and fixed on her, and he smiled. She felt bound, as he lifted himself up on one quivering arm, to bend and press his lips softly to hers. He bent to rest his forehead against hers, and it felt like home. 

“I think I love you too,” she breathed, and he pulled back just enough to blink sleepy eyes at her and smile. He lifted one of her hands and kissed the knuckle of each finger, and then pressed his lips to her palm, and then pressed her palm to his heart as he leaned closer and kissed her tenderly. 

If she stayed with him, she would never have the kind of mate bond that her parents had, that Alya and Nino had. There would always be compromises, always. Challenges. 

She didn’t want to think about that. Luka had said she didn’t have to, so Marinette wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself into him. He curled his arms around her and returned the embrace, squeezing her tight. Marinette closed her eyes and tilted her chin up, and Luka nuzzled under it, kissed her neck, and bit lightly at her already tender skin. For a moment, she let herself pretend that the soft press of his blunt teeth meant more than it could. 

“I love you,” he sighed against her skin. “My Marinette.” 

Fiction Master Post

[scope-dogg]

Brain Powerd: Final Thoughts (No, that’s not a typo)

I went into this with only vague ideas of what to expect. This is one of Tomino’s less-known and discussed anime series despite it having a really unique concept and a dream team production staff - Mamoru Nagano teams back up to do mechanical design, and Yoko Kanno contributes another standout soundtrack having just done the same for Escaflowne and Macross Plus. In fact, the whole thing has a very similar feeling vibe to Turn A Gundam, which is something else Tomino and Yoko Kanno would team up on after this - additionally, the two shows share much of the same voice cast and the art and animation style is also noticeably similar. Yet this doesn’t enjoy the same fame and acclaim of Turn A - there isn’t that much discussion about this show out there and the review scores I’ve seen are middling.

I can see why that is - this is definitely a show with flaws that came out at the wrong time - the show has a lot of curious parallels and similarities with Evangelion, which came out shortly beforehand, and despite those similarities allegedly being an unfortunate coincidence and not intentional, Brain Powerd gets written off as a knock-off of Eva by many. However, despite the fact that I think Eva is a better show than Brain Powerd in most ways, Brain Powerd is definitely not a knock-off - the tone of the two shows is entirely different, and Brain Powerd has plenty of its own unique aspects that are worthy of more attention. It’s probably the most heavily Tomino-flavoured Tomino series that I’ve seen - whether it’s the things it does right or the things it does wrong, it all carries the distinct hallmarks of that same legendary but polarising director.

The plot setup is that in the future, much of the planet is wracked by natural disasters, and the future looks bleak for humanity. Amidst this, an enormous and ancient alien spacecraft called Orphan awakens from its slumber in the abyss of the oceans. There are those called Reclaimers who think that Orphan is the key to humanity’s survival, and seek to fully awaken it and use it to allow mankind to escape the stricken Earth and roam the galaxy, whereas others believe it must be stopped at any cost. Part of Orphan’s activity is to disperse strange discs spawned by Orphan called Plates, which can revive into giant humanoid biomechanical lifeforms called Antibodies that are sentient but achieve their full potential via symbiosis with a human pilot. There are two kinds of Antibodies - the Grand Chers, which the Reclaimers exploit to their own ends, and Brain Powereds, which they seek to destroy wherever they can be found. Yuu Isami is the son of the scientists who lead the Reclaimers, and a Grand Cher pilot, who is one day sent on a mission to retrieve Plates and has a chance encounter with an orphan girl called Hime, who forms a bond with a Brain Powered that has just revived from a Plate. Forced to retreat, Yuu reassesses the cause he is serving, and upon learning the horrible truth - that when Orphan leaves Earth, it will result in the death of all life on the planet - he frees a captive Brain Powered and makes his escape, and vows to put a stop to the Reclaimers’ plans. This eventually brings him into contact with the Novis Noa, an arc ship commissioned by the UN with the aim of protecting humanity from Orphan’s devastation, where Hime and her Brain Powerd now reside.

The similarities with Eva are easy to see - a ruined world thanks to the presence of extraterrestrials, mecha that are alive, and a son at odds with amoral scientist parents, but at no point does it ever feel like it’s ripping anything off - it’s presented in its own way, it’s a different kind of story and has its own distinct identity despite the obvious parallels. I think it’s one of the shows’ greatest strengths, but it’s also potentially a major weakness, because it can be incredibly convoluted and unfocused at times. In fact, I suspect that a lot of the lukewarm reviews this show has are because people bounce off the early part of it, not without good reason - everything I described in the paragraph above this one happens in the space of about two episodes with a huge one-year timeskip in between, and it dumps a lot of concepts, characters and plot points on you way quicker than it probably should. There’s a lot of buzzwords and concepts to latch on to - B-Plates, Antibodies, Grand Chers, Brain Powereds, the Vital Globe, Chakra, and so on and so forth. Honestly there’s some I’m not entirely sure about - if I ever got a satisfactory answer to what a B-Plate is exactly I don’t remember. The plot is also kind of meandering for a good few episodes after its opening and can’t seem to decide where to go - to me it kind of seemed like it had its runtime or episode count altered at the last minute and rearrangements had to be made, which weren’t made well.

However, things do eventually seem to click into place at around episode 10, and the story starts to array itself in a more focused and engaging manner. It’s still not perfect - there are still occasionally things that it can’t make up its mind on and some other aspects that get settled too abruptly, but it’s still enough to justify you to continue watching. Even though it dumps a lot on you, it also holds enough back to keep you watching - the true nature of the Antibodies and of Orphan being the main factor in that - you get left with questions right up until the very end of the final episode.

There’s also quite a lot going on with the show’s characters. The show’s main running them on that front is the troubled familial relationships that most if not all of the main cast have, to the point where it can get genuinely Freudian at times. The ways the characters talk and act tends to be very odd in that uniquely Tomino way, which is probably another factor in people bouncing off the show, but if you’ve seen pretty much any other Tomino show and enjoyed it you’ve probably already either inoculated yourself against it or even acquired the taste for it. The tone that’s set gets quite serious, as the fate of the world is at stake, and that gets amplified by all the character drama, but it also has just the right amount of humour and lighthearted moments to relieve the pressure but not enough to descend into farce.

I’d say the strongest unique selling point the show has are the antibodies themselves, both Brain Powereds and Grand Chers. Both are very distinctly designed by Mamoru Nagano - the thin waists, large heads and feet and pointy protrusions give them away on that front - they bear something of a resemblance to the Gothicmades from Nagano’s Five Star Stories manga. Otherwise there’s not a whole lot out there that’s quite like them - I think Evangelion comparisons fall down here especially hard, as while the Eva units were more purely biotic, only wearing metal armour as a facade, the Brains and Grand Chers are purely biomechanical, their bodies made up in a way that blurs the line between living tissue and mechanical construction. The purpose for making them living things is also entirely different - the Eva units being living things made them more offputting and frightening, whereas in Brain Powerd it’s done to make them more human and relatable - at times they’re even cute. Sentient mecha isn’t a first, obviously Braves and Transformers built their franchises upon that concept, but Brain Powerd is different - they’re capable of taking some limited action on their own, but are at their best when working with a human pilot. They have a limited grasp of language, being able to sometimes flash words on the display screens in their cockpits and seeming to understand most human speech, but otherwise they’re limited to communicated by their mannerisms and making noise - the best way to think about them is almost like they’re large, very intelligent and human-shaped horses. It’s as strange as it sounds, and they remain mysterious and alien throughout, but never in a way that’s threatening or frightening. Well, at least that’s true for the Brains, the Grand Chers are definitely a little scarier in both appearance and behaviour to go with their role as the antagonist mecha, but even they get to show a bit of a softer side as the series progresses. Overall, this is definitely the most interesting thing that the show does and probably it’s biggest selling point.

All of this wrapped up in a presentation that I’d say is pretty good on balance. The animation is just okay by the standards of the time, there’s a fair amount of reused animation and some choppy bits, but it never gets outright bad, though it’s never amazing either. That’s made up for by a pretty solid visual direction and by Yoko Kanno, who knocks the soundtrack out of the park once again - it gives the series a hell of a lot of soul. I don’t think the soundtrack is quite as good as Turn A Gundam or Escaflowne, but it’s still in the same ballpark for sure.

On the whole, this series made a really strong impression on me despite being far from perfect, and I think it deserves more attention. I wouldn’t recommend it as anyone’s first mecha anime, or even anyone’s first Tomino anime - it’s probably better to cut your teeth on something like Turn A or Dunbine first to acclimate yourself to his style of storytelling, but if you like what you see in his other works, definitely come and check this one out. I don’t think there’s a guarantee that you’ll like it, but you may just love it.

[jayjaysocks]

Listing my favorite animes (because I’m jumping on the bandwagon)

❗️⚠️ *spoilers!! (Duh)* ❗️⚠️

5. Deadman Wonderland

I was really really sad when I found out this anime got cancelled. The music was fantastic, the animation was really good, and the voice acting was incredible. Even the fucking dubbed version (I loved the voice they chose for Senji. God he was hilarious). I binged this show so fucking fast it wasn’t even funny. I loved watching the characters go through their own struggles and grow as people in the very small amount of episodes provided. There was a lot of development within the snippet that we actually saw, and I was thoroughly impressed with how well it was done. I wanted to scream or something when I found out there wouldn’t be a second season.

Sigh. Oh well. At least we got some of the manga’s masterpiece translated into a show, even if we were missing some fucking awesome characters.

4. Guilty Crown

Ugh, don’t even get me started. This anime was beautiful and I got so invested so freaking quickly. I literally go back every few years to rewatch it because I get ship starved.

Shu and Inori’s story was so beautifully done; between Shu uncovering his courage and Inori’s journey of self-discovery, I was continuously awe-struck and filled with feelings—I mean, I had never felt such raw emotion while watching something and I was completely blown away by the affect it had on me. Anger, hatred, sadness, it was all there (even for the main character lmao) and it was one of the first times I had ever felt a ship so heavily that I literally cried at the end. It was one of the very first Animes I’d ever seen and was one of the reasons I got such a taste for them. Thanks for throwing me down that rabbit hole, GC.

3. Soul Eater

This was literally the first Anime I’d ever seen, and my god I couldn’t have asked for a better starter. What I like about this one is that it’s style is so unique and different. It’s very punk and grunge, something I admired and appreciated in a genre that is normally the opposite (like Guilty Crown, for example). Also the fight scenes were badass, like holy shit just look at that gif ??? Freaking amazing.

I loved the way the show transitioned from light hearted to intense and adrenaline pumping so effortlessly. That can be said about a lot of shows, but this one went from *haha cute show* to *holy shit, like they’re actually gonna die ohmygod howaretheygoingtosurvivethis* so smoothly I was genuinely surprised. They made one of the main villains actually cool and each character had their own beautifully done arc. I loved and adored how the show solidified and expanded on the different friendships/relationships that were involved—specifically Soul and Maka’s (also, holy shit, Stein’s arc? Fucking prime, dude). There was a lot of growth in each and every friendship (CRONA!!!), and that really pushed the viewer to invest in the individual characters.

I am fucking delighted that this was my first anime, and (though the ending was a little anticlimactic) it remains one of my top favorites to this day. It set the bar pretty fucking high, and for that I am extremely greatful.

No one asked for Soul Eater: Not! It is the unspoken sin of the Soul Eater world (then again, it is called Soul Eater: Not!)

2. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

If you have been following me for a while, then you are no stranger to my love of FMAB. Some of my most popular posts are about this anime, and for good reason.

Unfortunately, I was late to the party. I actually didn’t watch this until last year, but got invested really damn quick. I have a tendency to be extremely picky about the animes that I watch/like (which is why NONE of these shows are that recent), to the point that I will literally research them before I start watching (a bad habit, do not copy me). I have an incomparably hard time finishing a show when I start, because I get bored really quickly, but this was an exception. I started watching and I just... didn’t stop. I spent a straight week watching FMAB, gobbling it up during any small amount free time I could manage, and finished it before I even knew what happened. I wasn’t picky about it, I didn’t research it, I just dove right in and gosh, I was not disappointed.

The subtle romance that was alluded throughout the entire show was super cute, the devotion the brothers had for each other was to die for, and the struggles that each person went through was more than moving. I never once found myself bored while watching, and that’s saying a lot for my adhd ass. I was invested in each and every second of that damn anime and I was never, ever left underwhelmed. That probably had to do with the fact that every. Single. Character. Had a purpose. I’m not even kidding. Every single person contributed to the big fight at the end and that alone is fucking fantastic.

Not to mention ALL the women, every female character, was a badass bitch. None of them were reduced to sex appeal or romantic subplot, they all had real feelings, real arcs and real, unadulterated badassery that I thoroughly admired and appreciated. I could watch this anime over and over again every single month and I wouldn’t get bored. Between the emotional struggle, self discovery, and personal development of each character, I promise you will not see a lack of plot or meaning here. The more you watch, the more you discover and that is not a lie. There are so many layers to its story, which only makes me wish I had watched this sooner.

There is nothing I have to offer in the ways of criticism, and for that I couldn’t be happier. Thank you, Hiromu Arakawa, for such an incredible piece of art. You deserve every bit of love that this manga/anime gets. You go girl.

1. Cowboy Bepop

Holy shit holy shit holy shit this anime is so fucking good and it has been my favorite for so damn long. I have been watching anime for years, and while some of the shows in my list have moved around, this one has yet to be bumped down from the top (and I doubt it ever will). There’s a reason it became such a cult classic.

For starters, the animation. I mean, just look at Spike and the way they animate his fighting (yes I am aware that this gif is from the movie, but that still doesn’t change my point). The sequences in the show/film have been reused in many other shows and for good reason. It’s good, incredible, actually and they make him look so badass with just a few hand movements. I was consistently impressed with the way the fight scenes were portrayed and wasn’t ever left underwhelmed or disappointed (or, for that matter, feeling like they completely over exaggerated/overcompensated the scene with huge close-ups and tons of debris and lights). I loved watching this and my heart was always pounding with every intense interaction. I didn’t feel bored during any of the episodes and always found myself laughing when they cracked a joke—pretty much all of their funny lines hit and that’s saying something, dude.

The show, while having a lighthearted surface, has a heavy meaning that you don’t see at first glance. It’s about dealing with grief and loss, and how the characters themselves accomplished that in different ways. The most prominent quote is the biggest indication of its moral “you’re gonna carry that weight”. Basically: ‘You’ve gotta pick up your baggage, because the world moves on, with or without you’. Or ‘You’re going to carry that weight whether you like it or not, because life keeps going’. When I figured out the show’s actual message, while staring at my ceiling in the long hours of the night, I almost cried. This realization brought something entirely different to the table, a new understanding of the show’s characters and overall essence.

The main characters, all of them, had depth. They had real, palpable depth, and even if you didn’t want to care you found yourself seriously interested in their lives. Each of them had relatively shitty pasts. Faye with her lost memories, Spike with Julia and the people who fucked him over, Jet with his old flame and the ISSP, Ed and her/his father... throughout the entire show we got to see how all of them dealt with these things, whether they wanted to continue on with life or not. The way they portrayed it was engaging, because the characters individual, contrasting journeys weren’t repetitive or one note. The beauty that the show holds so achinging close to its core, the layers of grief that the characters are wrapped in so delicately is almost suffocatingly real—because they’re all different. It’s something you discover when you think on the subject in a deeper light, which is another reason why I enjoy it so much. It has both a surface story and a deeper one. You can either take the show at face value or choose to understand the underlying moral.

This show inspired my very first, thoroughly fleshed out OC, and continues to inspire me to this day. It has contributed to my own personal growth, and has helped push me to continue my art and writing. It is beautifully written, beautifully executed and even though some of the episodes seem like filler, it has never disappointed me. I rewatch it all the time because there’s something so infinitely refreshing about the beauty of this anime, whether it be the way we watch the characters develop or the overall moral it portrays. This show has given us a message that is essentially timeless, it can be ‘carried’ through generation after generation, and still have the same impact—something I absolutely fucking adore.

I owe so much to this anime, including my very own artistic development. I discovered it during a really shitty time in my life and I couldn’t have asked for better timing. I will never tire of the bittersweet message or the thoroughly fucking fantastic animation. Everyone who contributed to this masterpiece deserves love, because it’s seriously fucking gold.

[southern-belle-outcasts]

@distant-wcrlds sent: I kinda want to ask all of the kitchen and living room questions for Cisco...

Household Muse inspired questions!

Does your Muse have a favourite food?

Cisco loves chow mein and szechuan chicken from Mama Chow's. Big Belly Burger is a close second, and he's not going to turn down pizza if offered. His taste in food boils down to highly Americanized ethnic foods, or foods with American origins. He quite obviously has a sweet tooth and always has a supply of candy on hand, particularly strawberry Twizzlers, and Tootsie Pops.

Do they know how to cook / bake?

He does know how to cook, and even though he doesn't do it particularly often when there's a big bad being dealt with, he's quite capable of making a good meal in his kitchen without fear of burning it or being inedible. Baking is not his forte, and while he enjoys baked goods, most of them come from CC Jitters.

Have they ever burnt their food while cooking or set off the smoke alarms?

Yes, but it's only happened if someone interrupted him and he became distracted. Left to his own devices allowed to focus, it's not a frequent occurrence as he was helping his mother cook at a young age and it was not new territory when he moved out on his own.

Do they drink enough water throughout the day?

Hell no. Caitlin actually rides his ass a LOT about that. He drinks far too much coffee, water is not his go-to for hydration and he often needs to be reminded that he hasn't had any yet that day.

Are they a messy or organized chef in the kitchen?

Organized. He can't stand when things are out of place as he's cooking, and will shoo people out of the kitchen to prevent disturbing of where he is working.

How often does your Muse get groceries?

Unless he's planning a certain meal, grocery shopping is often left until there's no more groceries left to cook a proper meal with the amount of time he tends to spend at Star Labs.

Plastic or reusable bags?

Plastic, it's actually less environmentally impactful, and easier to reuse.

Do they use the recommend serving sizes of food portions?

If that recommended serving amount is what's going to leave him feeling satisfied, which as a general rule with American food, is typically less than what is served, so it's safe to say he eats more than the recommended amount, not that he's bothered by that fact.

What is one food they could absolutely binge on?

Chinese. He would have no problem eating it for every meal in a day.

Do they have a favourite drink? (Pop, alcohol, juice, milk, etc)

Coffee. Iced, hot, doesn't matter it's coffee. But unless it's summer and he's actually outside he tends to err towards hot brewed. The cortex is typically cool no matter what so it really doesn't matter, and he prefers to wake up and have hot coffee.

Does your Muse watch television? What is their favourite show?

Yes, he watches a lot of tv when he has free time, although he will often be tinkering with something, putting together a figure, or doodling calculations even while he watches as it's not enough stimulation if it's a rewatch, sometimes even with new shows unless it's so intense he has to give it his undivided attention. One of his favorites is Star Trek, but very close is This is Us.

Does your Muse play any games? (Video, card, board, etc)

He actually collects vintage gaming systems. He does not play as often he as he did while a kid, but he still plays them sometimes. He also enjoys arcade games. One of his favorite games is Marvel vs Capcom 2 (you're not going to tell me it doesn't exist in arrowverse, he knows about She-Hulk). He also enjoys board games with his friends. Card games are the one he's not huge on.

Do they have a designated spot they always sit in?

He always has his specific chair on the right in the cortex, he does not like sitting on the left and will get cranky if for some reason he is not able to take His Spot. He will not sit in the middle of a couch unless he absolutely has to, preferring the right side if available, otherwise he'll take the left. Unless he's with close company, he prefers a chair to himself.

Do they fall asleep watching movies?

Rarely, unless truly exhausted, or so familiar with the movie and it's a volume as to be more background noise than mentally stimulating. Will never fall asleep during a horror movie.

What genre of movie do they prefer?

Sci-fi, action, and fantasy are his go-tos. He prefers something that removes him from reality, although the more time he spends on Team Flash, the more it's starting to blend.

What is a television show they cannot stand?

Touched by An Angel. His mother would watch it a LOT when he was a kid, and he just isn't religious anymore. He found it far too sappy as he would put it if asked, but really he just doesn't like the 'blindly believe in god' message.

Any commercials they find annoying or catchy?

He will guiltily admit to enjoying the Geico commercials, but he finds most commercials annoying, either for how patronizing they are, the lack of true necessity for the product, etc.

Have they hosted a party before?

Not at his home, that's what bars or other people's houses are for. Having a crowd socializing is not particularly something he wants in his home, which is his sanctuary and he rarely just invites people over unless they're in a relationship with him.

Has your muse broken any objects in their past?

Yes, both on accident and on purpose. He gets very put out with himself when it's on accident, he does not like having to replace things, nor having the lack of control of a situation that leads to breaking things.

How does your muse relax?

Working on building something, whether for Team Flash, or a model, figurine, etc. He likes being able to zone out and work with his hands and just think about what he's doing and not the things around him. Same for watching tv shows, it allows him to remove himself from his life for a bit.

Does your muse have a favourite book?

He relates to Peter Parker a lot, being a bullied smart kid, so his favorite book is basically just the og Spider-Man run.

[ph4z0n]

DJ Your Own Streaming Radio Station Using Icecast and Mixxx

This is a barebones, basic setup which should be enough for you to play around with and hit the ground running.

For expediency and testing purposes, we assume it's all being ran from the same machine. Also assuming you're a respectable individual using Linux... ;-)

# Install them

In a terminal on Debian / *buntu:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install icecast2 mixxx

Make sure the Icecast daemon is stopped before continuing:

sudo systemctl stop icecast2

# Configure Icecast

You need to change the default usernames and passwords.

Edit the icecast.xml configuration file. Use any text-editor you're comfortable with.

In a terminal:

sudo emacs -nw /etc/icecast2/icecast.xml

Scroll down to <authentication> section to configure passwords and users.

Optionally also scroll down just a bit farther to <listen-socket> / <port> section and set an alternate port.

Save the file (in emacs: Ctrl+X Ctrl+S)

(Protip: Don't reuse credentials shown in example as they're in every password dictionary...)

# Configure Mixxx

Now, open Mixxx. On first launch, it'll prompt to setup audio hardware. Do so.

Depending on audio subsystem, hardware, and config, it can be tricky...

First, try the "Query Devices" button; let it probe I/O. Hopefully all fields are populated...

If not: for Master Output, try "pulse" "sysdefault", or "default" respectively.

Edit: select dual channel output (1+2).

Click Apply.

Output is all that's needed for basic operation. Feel free to configure and test inputs, microphones and the like later on.

# Load your library

If all went well in the last step: Click the Library tab on the left and Add directories containing your audio files.

Click Apply.

At this point, one might consider playing a file from a deck to make sure audio is configured properly... You'll first need to update the library to do so: click "Library" from the Menu Bar (not the preferences window), then rescan library.

# Mixxx to Icecast

Now, in the Preferences window: Click "Live broadcasting" tab on the left. Here you plug Mixxx into Icecast.

Create a new connection with something similar to the following:

Type: Icecast 2

Host: Domain or IP pointing to the icecast server. Since they're both in the same machine, use "localhost".

Login: username used for server. default is "source"

Mount: mountpoint configured in icecast.xml. Default is "/stream"

Port: port where icecast listens/broadcasts from; configurable via icecast.xml

Password: password configured in icecast.xml

Optionally configuring the encoding options, metadata and other settings here are not required for operation, but are recommended.

Click Apply > OK.

# Restart Icecast

In a terminal, resurrect the daemon:

sudo systemctl start icecast2

Navigate to domain/IP + port of the icecast server in a Web browser to verify Icecast is running. (e.g. http://example.com:8080)

# Finishing up

In Mixxx, load files from your library into your decks (drag n' drop, or via right-click).

Click the the live broadcast button, which looks like a satellite dish, or use CTRL+L .

If no error message shows up: you're now streaming into icecast.

Press play on a deck.

Jam out!

You can toggle the Auto DJ feature to queue up tracks automatically for unattended operation.

To listen to the stream, plug the Icecast URL into media players like Transistor, VLC, or even a Web browser like Firefox.

Also recommended to setup Dyn-DNS or something via Afraid.org if planning to connect remotely. Icecast server also runs very happily on modest hardware such as a Raspberry Pi.

Possible to feed audio from a mobile device to the machine running Mixxx over a bluetooth audio sink if you wanna deal with the headaches of wrangling those pulse audio connections.

Happy Hacking!

~P

[askpetethelibrarian]

ALA is so Square

ALA made the announcement about their Free Speech Zone to attendees in the last week or so. A couple tweets capturing most of the basics:

Credit where due, the long text was posted by @flexlibris on Twitter.

We’ll talk about it as “the square” from here on out, just for brevity. Ish.

Also, it should be noted that ALA has rolled this back, most likely based on the backlash from librarian Twitter.

As an aside, librarian twitter is possibly the worst twitter. It’s the worst I’ve been a part of. Because...well, it’s a very sensitive version of twitter, and...oof, I hate to say this, but it’s heavily trafficked by librarians who have nothing better to do than get outraged about shit on twitter. I don’t think ALL librarians have nothing better to do, but some of ya’ll, based on your timelines, need a little more workload. Just sayin’.

~

The Intent?

In tent? Eh?

I like to start with intent. Because while I know the popular vote right now swings towards impact over intent, I think it matters, and because it’s not talked about so much, I think we’ll have a period of time where intent might be lost. Once things are more balanced, I think we’ll want to talk intent again. So I’m ahead of the game and a goddamn genius is what I’m saying.

The intent is difficult to parse here. A lot of the arguments were along the lines of ALA continuing to prop up the white patriarchy or something, which I didn’t totally understand because, to be perfectly honest, I thought that this was sort of the naughty jail for people sharing views that, well, to reuse a phrase, prop up the white patriarchy. I thought the intent of the square was to put people in there who were sharing views that are viewed as racist/sexist as opposed to putting in people who are sharing views that are seen as progressive. But that’s how you know you fucked up: nobody likes it. People sharing views that go against the progressive grain (who I don’t think are huge ALA midwinter attendees, but whatever, that’s a whole ‘nother topic) think they’re going to bad boy jail. People sharing progressive views think they’re being restricted, continuing a path of blah blah blah.

I don’t mean to be disrespectful to either group. I’m just not really arguing either side in this debate because BOTH sides have the same problem with ALA’s idea, and BOTH sides feel attacked by it (in theory, at least. I didn’t actually see anyone willing to say “I wanted to say some anti-diversity stuff” at a library conference). 

I make it a habit to assume best intent. That’s a fraught idea, but I think about it like this:  #1 it’s up to me if that’s how I want to live life, not you. I’m not prescribing it for everyone.  #2 if doing this is a result of privilege...then I’ll take it. Assuming best intent seems like a good use of privilege to me.

So, if I assume best intent, I think ALA probably wasn’t trying to make a free speech jail. I think they, like many institutions, were trying to figure out a way to have legitimate discussions about topics without people just sitting in sessions tweeting about how horrible they are. 

For example, if I were to present at a conference, I might present on the topic of men in libraries. Which is going to touch some nerves. I might also present my personal feeling, which is that it’s unreasonable to expect that male representation in libraries will resemble male representation in the community. That view is based in a much longer discussion, which is that the majority of men, who cluster in spots on the gender spectrum, just aren’t as interest in books, reading, and librarianship. Now, this is not a progressive viewpoint. The progressive viewpoint is that we’re all indoctrinated from a young age to like what we like. I don’t tend to believe that so much, but in a session, I would tend to agree to disagree and move on with the fact of male librarianship being abysmally low, and that masculinity being redefined, if possible, will only lead to better representation in, say, 30 years. 

I think the square was designed as a space where people could have those discussions without those discussions derailing sessions. Not that I think these discussions aren’t valuable, but I think there are plenty of options to attend sessions based around those topics. I think it was also a way to silo those discussions in a place where all who enter are more in the “assuming best intent” mindset. That’s my guess. Heavy emphasis on “guess” because I really don’t know.

I also think that because ALA includes academic libraries and because librarians are an academically-inclined bunch, this is probably libraries following a model that has been used on college campuses. Several campuses use almost this exact model for protest and free speech, including the need to reserve time slots, and we’ll get into that shortly.

SEE, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS

I’m not so quick to blame ALA for making a boneheaded move. I think that librarians have brought this on ourselves. 

I don’t think we’re great at having the hard discussions about sensitive topics. Librarians tend to get very defensive about their work products and their professions, and it’s a problem on both the micro (single library) and macro (ALA) scale. 

I’ve mentioned this many times, but I can’t really talk about the lack of dudes in libraries without someone getting pissed off at me.

I don’t know, but I suspect that as a librarian of color, you’d probably wander into similar defensiveness if you talked about the whiteness of the profession. 

We can’t even talk about the square without basically accusing ALA of being a racist, nazi-esque mess. Our own organization, we can’t approach it with a question or even a “Can we talk about why this isn’t a good idea?”

CAN WE TALK ABOUT WHY THIS ISN’T A GOOD IDEA?

There’s an agnostic way of talking about this without getting into how or why it benefits one group or another. Because truly, it’s to no one’s benefit. 

The ACLU is against this concept. In short, speech that’s confined to a specific area is in no way free. But, more importantly, the purpose of attending a conference should be about learning and discussing, and rather than promoting learning and discussion, things like the square reduce discussion. They reduce opportunities for people to talk openly.

To take it further, a free speech zone indicates that the rest of the conference is NOT a free speech zone. 

If we can’t have civil discourse about our profession and views at a professional conference, then were ARE we able to have it? If librarians need referees to monitor and control conversations among colleagues, how will we interact with the public when there is no referee? If we can’t politely disagree, ask questions or make statements because we’re hurting someone’s feelings, then how are we ever going to address anything that actually matters?

SUGGESTION 1: ABANDON SAFETY-ISM

I think ALA is engaging in a bit of safety-ism, which is counter-productive.

Safety-ism isn’t the same as safety. Safety is making sure people are, well, safe. Safety-ism is prioritizing safety over all other things, and it coincides with the idea creep of safety including emotional comfort. 

People should not be harassed at a conference. If they are, the issues should be immediately dealt with by whoever’s throwing the conference. 

But, emotional discomfort shouldn’t be something that take priority. 

The ALA site says that attendees should vote with their feet, meaning that if they don’t like what’s going on in a session, they should leave. I 100% agree with this. If you don’t like what’s happening, if you’re feeling emotionally unsafe, leave. This applies to boredom or uselessness as well, but I digress.

There’s a famous saying I’ll paraphrase: If you walk into a library and can’t find anything that offends you, that’s a sucky library. Likewise, if you go to a conference and can’t find anything that offends you, it’s probably a sucky conference.

Safety is a priority. Physical safety. Safety from harassment. But emotional discomfort isn’t top dog. 

SUGGESTION 2: SET GROUND RULES

I think simple attendance ground rules really do solve this problem.

1. Speakers have the floor Please don’t interrupt speakers. You may have disagreements with a speaker, however the purpose of speakers is for them to express a point of view or explain a project. Different speakers have different styles, and they need to be given the room and space to express themselves completely. 

2. Attendees always vote with their feet This is always within your rights. At any time, stand up and leave.

3. The Protest Veto is a No-Go Please don’t try to silence any speakers or events via protesting or other methods. It’s not just about the speaker’s right to express themselves, it’s about the rights and needs of others to hear what that person is saying.

4. We value diversity of viewpoint We’re a very homogeneous group of people in a lot of ways. In trying to disrupt that, we will need to make room for people who don’t look like us, and we’ll need to make room for people who don’t think like us. 

5. Best intent It’s very unlikely someone spent the time and money to come here and be a jerk. If we can’t assume best intent, we can’t open ourselves up to new ideas and ways of thinking. If we can’t do that, we may as well not have a conference and everyone can continue doing what they’re doing, believing what they believe, and working the way they’re working currently. 

[kurt-nightcrawler]

Feather

Summary: you had a crush on pigeon boy

Word Count: 1.8k

You sighed. You were so hopeless. 

It started out as an innocent crush. He was very attractive and surprisingly, not a total asshole. 

Then time went on, and your “innocent crush” was going to have to get a name change. Six months of silent pining, stolen glances when he wasn’t looking, laughing a little bit more when he made a joke, watching him train with Kurt— you were going to fall for him hard, and when you’d finally hit the ground you would most likely be crushed. 

-

“If I were stuck on a deserted island… hmm… I would pick… Kurt.” 

Your friends were playing some game in your room. You weren’t paying any attention. Instead, you were thinking about Warren. Your history teacher said you’d need to pick partners for a project next time you had class. You really wanted to ask Warren to be yours, but that would be so awkward! Some girl he never really talked to and only knew because of his big friend group wanted to work with him on a project? Yeah, no thanks. He’d probably pair up with Ororo. 

“(Y/N).”

“What?”

“Who would you pick?” Jubilee asked. 

“Pick for what?” 

“If you were stranded on an island, who from the friend group would you pick?” Jean explained. 

“Warren.” 

“Dang!” Jubilee exclaimed. “She didn’t even hesitate. I bet she’s thought about it before.” 

“He has wings— He could fly— We wouldn’t be stuck…” God, you got flustered so easily.

“Uh huh… Look, everyone knows Warren’s hot. You can admit it.” 

“He’s… cute.” You stated awkwardly, trying to not let your big, fat, crush seep through into the conversation.

That was the thing. You’d somehow managed to keep your crush a secret from everyone. I mean everyone— telepaths included! You had absolutely no idea how you did it, but if they did somehow know, then they never did anything to prove so. 

-

You were sitting in the shade under a tree, book in your lap, but ignored for the piece of metal in your hands. It was one of Warren’s feathers.

Since they could shoot out and pierce things, he was encouraged to use them during training, leading to his feathers being reused by Hank for scrap metal for his next big project. You managed to steal one and hide it in the bottom of your sock drawer for two weeks before taking it out and using it as a bookmark. Sometimes you thought about getting a handle or something put on one end to make it a dagger, but you never did. 

You ran your thumb over the tip absentmindedly. Carefully though, so you wouldn’t cut yourself. You were so lost in thought you didn’t even notice when Peter snuck up behind you.

Not noticing Peter was like not noticing a natural disaster. It was near impossible to do. 

“Whatcha got there?”

“A book,” You responded, quickly placing the feather down as a page marker and slamming it shut. 

“I saw something shiny. What was it?”

“Nothing! Just my bookmark.” 

“Can I see it?”

“No.” You held the book tightly in your hands, afraid Peter would try and snatch it. 

You did not, however, think about how he could have just pulled the feather out with super speed since part of it stuck out. 

“Hey!” 

Peter admired the metal feather in his hands. “Where did you get this?”

“Doesn’t matter. Just give it back!” You tried to reach it from Peter’s hands, but he was too fast, dodging you every time. 

“Is this Warren’s?” He asked.

“I said give it back Maximoff!”

“No. I wanna know why you have one of Warren’s feathers!” 

“Hank gave it to me.” You could tell Peter was going to run off with it any moment, so you did the only thing you could think of to slow him down. 

You kneed him in the crotch. 

“Ow!” He balled his fists, causing the feather to bend.

“Peter no!” You cried.

“Why’d you do that? That shit hurt.” You wanted to cry. That feather was one of the most important things you owned and now it was bent. 

“You bent my feather!” 

“Maybe you shouldn’t have kicked me in the dick.” 

“If you had given it back like I asked, I wouldn’t have needed to!”

“Well-” He was hunched over in pain, “-here, take it back.”

You grabbed the feather and your book lying on the grass and ran inside. 

-

You tried to bend it back into place, but you had no success. You screamed in frustration. Why did Peter have to be so nosy? You just could not have nice things, could you?

You stared at the feather. It looked pathetic, all dent and beaten. Just like your stupid one-sided crush. 

You dropped your head against the table, shielding it from view. You didn’t make any sniffling sounds or choked sobs and hiccups as tears fell down your face. You kept the heartbreak hidden. 

Just like your feelings.

-

You didn’t speak to Peter at all. You never really needed to, and when you did need to you just... didn’t. Simple as that.

Peter got mad you weren’t speaking to him. He didn’t see the big deal. Why did the feather have so much meaning to you? You weren’t that close with Hank, and you rarely ever spoke to Warren. He couldn’t figure out why you got so upset.

“It’s your turn, Pete! Ask someone.” 

You avoided his gaze perfectly. If Peter chose you, you would have literally no way to escape conversation. You mentally pleaded for him to not choose you. 

“Uh… (Y/N).” But you were not lucky. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare.” You regretted your decision soon as the word left your lips, but you really didn’t want to talk to him any more than you had to. 

“I dare you… I dare you to tell me why you’re so upset over the feather.” Everyone was confused by his statement. What feather? What kind of dare was this?

“Come on, that’s not a real dare.” You argued.

“Well, it’s my dare I’m giving you. You have to answer.” 

“No.” 

Warren whispered something to Jubilee, but you couldn’t hear. It just made you more unfocused in the moment.

“(Y/N), I gave it back. I’m sorry that I broke it.” 

“Sorry doesn’t fix it! I spent hours trying to fix it and I couldn’t, okay? You stole it and wouldn’t give it back.” 

“You kicked me in the dick!” 

“Because you were going to run off with it!”

“That— That doesn’t mean you can just kick me in the dick!” 

“Wait. You kicked him in the dick over a feather?” Warren asked. He probably thought you were some pathetic child, hurting people over some feather.

“Hank gave her one of your feathers and I broke it. Not on purpose!” Warren’s face shifted from confusion into soft realization. 

“Oh… I could just— I could just give you another one right now.” 

Your eyes were wide, nerves racing. “You don’t have to do that.” 

“Nonsense,” He plucked a feather out without even flinching and held it out for you. 

“Thanks…” You held it tightly in your hand and tried to mask your emotions. 

Your heart was racing— he gave you a feather! He gave you one of his feathers! You were never going to let it go, and you would probably be buried with it. 

“Do we all get feathers?” Scott joked. 

“Piss off Summers.” You couldn’t help but smile a bit. Only you got a feather!

-

You framed it and hung it on your wall. Stepping back, admiring your handiwork, you felt a rush of happiness come over you. The feather was everything to you at the moment.

“Wow. You framed it.” You turned around and looked at him. Warren was standing in your doorway. You felt a little embarrassed, he was probably going to think you were some creep for framing it. You should have just been content with the dent one! Why’d you have to go and cause a scene? 

“It looks nice.” 

“Thank you…” 

“Can I ask you something?” 

I’d let you run me over with a truck. Of course, you can ask me something. You can ask me anything!  “Yeah.” 

“Why’d Hank give you one of my feathers?” 

“I um, I stole it…” You sheepishly admitted, avoiding eye contact. 

“You could have just asked me for one. I wouldn’t have cared.” 

“Oh no. I could never— That would be weird. This situation is kinda weird.” 

“Oh.” He sounded disappointed. “Why did you steal it from Hank?” 

You froze for a moment. You could not let him know about your undying love you’ve been harboring for six months. Wait— Did you call it an undying love? Were you at that level now? Oh god… 

“I just… I think your wings are cool. I think they’re cool. The feather was cool. Um… yeah.” 

“Oh. I thought they like, freaked you out, or something. You’re kinda quiet around me.”

“What? No! Never, I just, suck at small talk.”

He nodded, “You’re chatty with the rest of our friends.” 

You were panicking. If you couldn’t explain yourself, Warren would live the rest of his life thinking you hated him! You couldn’t live with that.

You had to coBeforeme clean about the truth. 

“I’m in love with you.” 

He didn’t say anything at first. You were ready to jump out the window and fall to your death. 

Then he spoke. “Oh.” 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m just gonna—” You motioned to the window, ready to have the floor swallow you whole. 

Before you could even take one step, Warren grabbed your hand. “Please don’t do that.” The emotion was evident in his eyes. 

You were going to open your mouth and speak, but you couldn’t. His lips were pressed against yours, moving together. Your free hand cupped the back of his neck, ghosting the ends of his hair. He wrapped his other hand around your waist pulling you closer, your chests touching. You didn’t want to stop, afraid that if you did, you’d wake up from some dream. 

But Warren broke away to breathe. Your eyes bore into his. Neither of you wanted to speak, unsure of what to even say. 

“I didn’t do that just because you were about to jump out a window. I mean, I did, but I also like you. A lot. And I thought you were maybe intimidated by me because you were fine around everyone else but you never really said anything to me. Then I thought, maybe I’m not trying enough, but then I also thought, space is good and you may not want anything to do with me and—” 

You kissed him again. You broke apart after a few moments of lingering lips. 

“I didn’t mean to cut you off, but you were rambling, and um, I thought you wouldn’t mind. I’m sorry.” 

He blushed and shook his head, “No, you’re— you’re fine. Great, actually.” 

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” He nodded his head slightly. “Um,” He glanced at your lips and then looked up into your eyes. He slowly leaned in and you followed.

[hellopvaport]

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As mentioned, this verification process is simple. All it requires is a name and a short email address. That's about it. There is no need to worry about passwords, usernames, or other such information, as these are done automatically by the system when you provide them. However, the Pinterest staff may still wish to review your information to ensure you are the person intended to receive the sale's proceeds.

Once you have completed the verification process, you can then begin marketing your account. Pinterest will present you with a verification code which you can use to promote your Pinterest account for sale. Each time someone visits your site, they will ask to click on a link provided in the verification code. This link directs them straight to the Pinterest website to take a look at the products you sell. If they like what they see, they will be happy to purchase from you. As you can imagine, this process will bring you a lot of visitors and sales, which is what you want.

The verification process is straightforward and quick to complete. It is excellent news for those who don't have a lot of time to invest in advertising your product or service. If you force to carry out the verification process manually, it would be very time-consuming. Even with the help of automation programs, it would still be very time-consuming. Therefore, I highly recommend using a verification process that is automated so that your customers can go shopping with confidence!

One of the best places to start the verification process is at the footer of the webpage. For example, if you set the Pinterest page up like this: About Me, You, and What You Know, you should put the code at the footer, which automatically redirects the user to a page with the link for the verification process. That way, your customers won't even know that the connection is there. Another advantage of using this method is that the code will make your page appear more professional. People will think you are selling products or services of high quality because of the code you used.

If you are looking to buy high-quality phone verified Pinterest PVA accounts, visit our website and purchase high-quality phone verified Pinterest PVA accounts with instant delivery and a three-day replacement warranty.

[trans-advice]

Hi! Y’all are amazing. Do you have any passing tips for amab girls?

a trend to follow: if a cis woman does it for basic hygiene, then you should be fine when you do it.

do price comparisions for all of these supplies because trying to get all of these will need to become part of your budget.

moisturizers are needed in order to remove makeup & heal skin after shaving. the moisturizer you use needs to be fragrance free because we sometimes develop skin allergies to the fragrances. ponds, nivea, vaseline, coconut oil, are good ones i hear. in a quick pinch, chapstick can work out, but it can be too precise for the job when you need broad strokes.

for shaving, if you have a thick beard, then should probably only use one disposable razor per shaving session shave once per day. if you miss a day it can take several days to get back undercontrol. stypic pencils, hydrogen peroxide, band-aids & neosporin/triple-antibiotic ointment, anti-acne pads are all helpful friends. you won’t need some of those supplies depending on how fast your blood clots/scabs. buy your razors at the dollar tree. buy them in bulk online if you need to. avoid buying razors at walgreens.

avoid shaving your legs because there’s a lot ligaments that you have to stay flat on. you will knick yourself & have to apply bandages to awkward places. this means if you have to shave by while you’re alone, then you shouldn’t do it. i would suggest using an electric razor for these purposes. i have also found that for arms & fingers you can get a lot done without shaving cream & that it is actually better to not use it to avoid nicking yourself by going off the plane. basically with shaving you need to stay on smooth/flat services with the razor. you’ll probably get better with time with recognizing these, but basically look at: 

the muscles in your arms, 

the bones in your hands,

 the way your fingers line up,

how your veins & nerves stick out of your hands.

shave your armpits a little bit. you merely need to brush your razor on it once you get it mostly off. an electric razor would be a good idea. there’s some feminism accepted with keeping the armpits unshaven, but bushes get deem male as heck so hence you need to keep them trimmed. like you need to be able to see the skin. if the hair starts obstructing the view to the armpit skin, then people start seeing it as weird.

you don’t have to shave your pubic region or near it actually. this is because people actually support people who don’t because it filed under sexuality & people tend to be less kinkshamey when they think about sex conceptually & you don’t want to talk about sex to begin with. personally, i only shave because i’ve actually gotten urinary tract infections because of too many fecal germs or whatever in that region. so i just try to trim that for purposes of harm reduction, not style. basically do what makes you comfortable with regards to your pubic hair because everyone tends to respect the live & let live principle with that.

for purposes of cutting down on acne, make your room as cold as possible when you sleep & wash your pillowcases & bedding frequently. (i only get to do laundry once a week because i have to use a laundromat. however, if you have a washer/dryer of your own, then i’d do it like everyday or so.) also avoid touching your face as much as you can (that is why wearing foundation actually helped my acne). go to a dermatologist if needed.

most drug store foundations are “anti-comedogenic” which means you won’t get clogged pores from it. so that means avoid the makeup that aims to clog pores because “smoothness”. i am paying attention to the clogging of pores here because acne will make shaving & makeup worse. perhaps going to a makeup consultation can help with finding the right foundation.

the foundation i use, which i will disclose so you can gauge my complexion when i talk about colors: rimmel stay matte foundation 081 fair ivory. it’s like $6 or $7 at walgreen’s, but $3.29 at target, 2 for $5 online at target. 

when you apply foundation, you’re going to want to: 

take a pea size dot onto your fingers

rub it upward 

in circles 

going from nose to the edges of the face (like towards the sizeburns, but always going upward).

remember to cover the part by the hair line.

it might take several minutes to do, but eventually you’ll get the hang of it to where it’s like brushing your teeth.

use moisturizer to remove makeup from your eyes. wash your face off with like dove soap or some sensitive soap. (do the moisturizer first to avoid getting soap into your eyes)

you need to avoid smelling bad. using a roll-on deodorant that smells more feminine will help out (i like “lady speed-stick” which is strong. i also like suave because tradition, but secret is cool. also fragrances lotions can help in small quantities as a form of like perfume. cis women use fragrances to help cover up menstrual blood. therefore applying little amounts after a showerlike at the elbow crevices, the shoulders, the armpits, the breasts, some parts of the torso, legs, is a good idea. avoid the crotch & butt of course because cross-contamination with feces.)

painting your nails, lipstick/lipgloss, eye-makeup & earrings are definitely stronger ways to pass. 

like red nail polish tends to bleed remnants onto your nails afterwards so i would avoid red nail polish. go to the dollar store & build a spectrum of your favorite colors. (types of pink, types of blue, types of green, types of purple, types of orange, some glitter kinds, etc).

also get a cuticle cleaner/pusher that has a rounded tip for scooping. smelling bad will be bad. it will be super important in order to remove dirt or crud or nasty stuff out of there.

you do foundation before lipstick if you’re having trouble staying in the lines, you can basically put lipstick towards the lip/mouth-gums border & then use your finger to like spread it out. i also suggest curling your lips in & looking for lipstick that goes over the edges. when i put on lipstick it’s often over the lines at the edges of my mouth. if i put on too much lipstick it can be offensive (because of how blackface lips are illustrated), so try to avoid going over as much as possible. if you are still struggling or prefer different feels then using chapstick or lipgloss or flavored chapstick are awesome.

with eyeshadow you put darker eyeshadows next to the eyelashes & lighter eyeshadow towards the top by the eyebrows. if you do the reverse, then you will look more masculine, & like goth/emo dramatic. overall, not a good idea. like doing colorful eyeshadow is already artsy, you don’t want to push it too hard. if you do like darker versions of flesh colors like purple or brown in the spectrum order i just said of light colors by the brows, dark by the lashes, then it might seem “mature”. personally, i prefer artsy, but i’m also an eccentric person. 

i have heard that doing foundation or concealer first, before eye-makeup, is the pro-tip for easy application, but for me eyeshadow sometimes looks too pale when i do that. eyeliner is definitely easier to put on if you have concealer or foundation on. i also like using lipstick instead of eyeshadow sometimes because it’s bolder colors. however, you must be aware of cross-contamination possibilities. 

i’ve also heard about brow trimming, but i do not know anything about it & if you do it wrong it is super noticable. so basically just brush those so they look like uniform/lined-up instead of bushy. but yeah, when you get a haircut, maybe chat them up about it.

for eyelashes, you can simply just take your finger and push your eyelashes away from your eyes to curl them. at dollar tree & family dollar etc, their mascara is never usable, and therefore that product is always a scam.

if you get earrings, then go to an actual piercing shop. do not go to a earrings at like claire’s with air guns… no. air guns break/shatter ear bones. you’ll have to keep those clean as hell. 

hair varies with everybody. hairstyle is very intimate to one’s style identity/aesthetic. (i bring this up because that’s is the point of solarian, lunarian, stellarian, as labels)  so i can’t give much on that. i have heard wigs can be good for when you want to do wild hair. if you die your hair, it can damage it severly. so i’d suggest hair chalks which are like eyeshadow, and those cans of color that goes away in 1 wash. color the tips not the roots, because while it may be messier, you can just cut the tips it gets botched instead of losing your entire head of hair.

so for buying bras, you go by your chest size. the letters a, b, c, d, dd, etc add 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc inches to hold (what would be) your breasts. if you’re in europe (or some other fashion lines) then replace dd with e & carry on. so a 44D is 44+4, a 38C is 38+3.

getting a bra that hooks in front is such a relief. however, if you have to get one with hooks on the back, then you can put it on backwards, hook it while they’re in front of you, from bottom to top, and then turn it around so it’s on correctly.

if you push against the bra & it deflates, you’ll need padding because boobs would fill that in basically if you’re holding like books in front of you or someone pushes into you, that can look like a cone pushed inward. while getting silicone breast cups or breast forms used in sewing would be the most economical, using overnight bladder or period pads for each side of the bra is able to be done when you don’t have a shop for breast forms around. family dollar sells bras for like 2 for $9, but if you can’t fit into those (their biggest size was 44D last time i checked. i’m a big woman, like 5′10″, 230lbs, mid 40′s on the chest.) if you go beyond these bras, it’s easy to find prices of like $25/bra. you’ll probably need 7 to get thru a week, 1 per day.

you will want to put baby powder into your bra to minimize rash development, bra sweat, and help with reusing the bra in case you’re not able to wash it before you use it next.

bras must be handwashed in cold water with soap, one at a time. i use the bathroom sink. if you don’t have a drain plug, then in order to do so, you take a washcloth & roll it up until you can stuff it up/into the drain. to dry the bras, you’ll want to use hangers on clothes line or shower rod or a like a dining room chair.

also in order to have more range, look into like spandex stomach slimmers that also go over the chest. they function like corsets, but look like a-shirts. they can hurt the back like binders do, so i would suggest bras instead of these, but they can be a more low-key way of having some ability to have control over your body & breasts. cis women also use these so basically that’s a trend to follow: if a cis woman does it for basic hygiene then you should be fine when you do it. i’ve thrown my spandex stomach slimmers into a washing machine, and it came out fine. i don’t remember if i thrown them into the dryer, but if you’re worried only keep it in for a few minutes.

if you want to wear like feminine underwear, but want it to be basic, then buy some “granny panties”. they usually come in basic colors, that can be fun. again, family dollar sells some. (at least in my area).

goodwill thrift stores don’t harass trans & gender-non-conforming shoppers. i am not sure of what shops you have around you, but again, save money when possible. also check out target & kohl’s if possible, but they’re more expensive. kohl’s gives coupons to their credit card holders. wearing blouses & dresses will be a big step towards passing.

to cancel erections: flex a large muscle for about 30 seconds or more, like both thighs. If you’re sitting, rest your feet on your toes and push off the ground as if you’re just about to stand up. for me this usually involves like squeezing my thighs near my knees. if you do the wrong muscles (the ones who hold in urine or poop), then you’ll accidentally do kegels which actually prolong erections. therefore, i would suggest practicing this skill in private.

not so much for passing, but for general health: purses, make sure you can fit your entire head in those. never get thin straps (neither width or thickness). if possible get the kind where the connection between the strap & the purse is a hole, because if the strap breaks, then you can possibly replace it with some sort of string, chord, rope, chain.

good luck, peace & love,

eve

[fantasyresident]

My Review For Pokemon Sword and Shield (Spoiler-Free)

The road to Sword and Shield could be considered interesting to say the least. Shit hit the fan with everyone’s accusations, complaints, and grievances before the game even came out. Death threats, fake leaks, ridiculous critics, you name it. As a dedicated Pokemon fan, I saw huge potential with Sword and Shield, and I have officially completed Shield just a couple days ago. Reviews from official critics like IGN and Gamespot mainly praise the game giving it scores of 9.3 and 9 respectively. But then others off to the side of these major critics are saying the game “isn’t worth the $60″. I can say after playing the game myself to its completion (plus some) that the game is definitely in my view worth the money. I will break down my opinions of these entries by categories of Mechanics (how well the game works, how much gameplay there is, and how valuable the gameplay aspects are) Story (how good and effective the plot of the game is) Characters (how good the characters within the plot are) Dialogue (how good the writing of the game is) and Visuals (how good the game looks from a visual perspective). Here I go.

Mechanics: (9.1/10)

Sword and Shield is jam-packed with excellent features and gameplay elements to endlessly enjoy. The new Pokemon Camp feature is the best, most interactive way of playing and building your friendship with your Pokemon. The curry cooking is very simple, but it is more interactive then just giving a floating PokePuff or Bean to a Pokemon and having them chew it slowly right in front of you only to give it yet another one until they cannot eat anymore. You can throw a ball to have your Pokemon play fetch with you, speak to your Pokemon, and have them play with the little wand toy. While you cannot pet your Pokemon like in the past, the new features feels so fresh and even just watching your favorite Pokemon interact on their own is a worthy replacement for old systems like Amie and Refresh. Aside from Camping, the Gym Challenge was by far one of the best features. Gyms actually for the first time ever felt like full-fledged Gyms. Each Gym has their own special challenge in the beginning, and each one helped diversify the experience rather than tossing you into a room with randomly arranged trainers and the Gym Leader standing at the end waiting for you to get through the maze. I particularly loved Allister’s Gym Challenge, but every one of the challenges was a fun light-hearted experience. Many nuisances from the game that lingered in the past main titles have been removed, like no longer having to farm heart scales just to experiment with different move sets, having a Pokeball throwing shortcut, having a name rater posted in every Pokemon center, and many other quality of life improvements. The only problem I find with the mechanics of the game is the pop-ins. NPCs (ones that move from place to place), wild Pokemon, and berry trees all have their pop-in moments in the game. As you approach them, they come into view normally from a mid-range distance, and fade away again if you get too far away. This isn’t a huge deal when it comes to the experience as a whole, but it did slightly rob from the otherwise fresh Wild Area experience considering the pop-ins are the worst there. Lagging while online in the Wild Area is also a slight problem, but not too persistent of a problem.

Story: (8.5/10)

The story of Shield very much reminded me of the Pokemon anime in a sense (Swords being no different other than Pokemon variations). The narrative mainly focuses on the lovable and colorful cast of characters rather than a constantly changing dynamic plot. The plot is pretty big (not a Dynamax pun I swear), but it’s mainly told through your trainer character’s perspective, so the secrets of the unfolding plot occur through the perspectives of the adult figures, which you eventually see around the end. It’s not a complex story, but I found it to be very solid, kind of like a Pokemon movie. The characters carry the story along smoothly, and it’s a nice “save the world” Pokemon plot. There’s not a bunch of lore for the region, but what lore is explained is very suitable for the Galar region and I found it to be pretty interesting. I feel like the ending wraps up a little quicker than in usual Pokemon games, but the post-game story helps to finalize things even if it contains two very weird parodical characters. I think the point of the game’s plot is timely (for a reason I cannot elaborate upon for non-spoiler purposes, but to anyone who finishes it, you may know what I mean). I feel like it really connects with a real-world issue that the world is facing currently. Additionally, the story’s presentation was handled very well in most parts, I really liked the mid-battle cutscenes and the scripted battles that remind me of classic RPGs. While I don’t think the plot of Sword and Shield beats the darker dynamic plot of Sun and Moon, it’s good and solid all the same. 

Characters: (10/10)

As I briefly mentioned in the story segment of this review, the characters are some of the biggest stars of this game. Each Gym leader stands out and have their own little backstory. These backstories aren’t told through cutscenes, but you can read their biographies on the back of their League cards which I thought was a good way of telling us more information about the Gym Leaders than we got with them in the past titles. Gym Leaders are normally just treated like pretty designs and then thrown away by the post game. Sword and Shield however puts each of them in the spotlight more and they all get some time to shine. The designs for the characters themselves I find to be particularly amazing. Personally, Piers, the long awaited Dark-type Gym Leader was my favorite, but every single one of them had something interesting in store. Aside from Gym Leaders, memorable characters like Marnie, Bede, Sonia and Leon really help liven and enrich the experience. I felt really invested in these characters, and when I feel that invested in the characters of a video game, I consider them a smashing success.

***ADDITIONAL NOTE***

I neglected to mention the most important characters to any Pokemon game: the Pokemon themselves! The designs of the Galar Pokemon and Galar forms are breathtaking. I love the vast majority of them and there’s very few that I think little of. The designs are themed and look very creative, I really loved the art direction for this generation’s Pokedex.

Dialogue: (9/10)

With the new Galar region, inspired off of the UK, the dialogue is bound to change. A lot of British slang is slipped in which was enjoyable even if I wasn’t familiar with some of it. Each character seemed to have their own way of speaking and I liked this individuality in dialogue. Nothing any of the main characters say seems off-putting, so I’d say the dialogue is in a very good place for a Pokemon game. It is a game that’s marketed for younger audiences, but it does a good job of not making you feel like a baby (something that prior titles also done a good job with), so the dialogue is consistently good for any audience. Some lines could be improved perhaps or less generic, but nothing stands out to me as an issue with dialogue, so I’d say the writing is pretty on-spot.

Visuals: (9.4/10)

This is perhaps one of the most controversial parts of these games, with many complaining about reused models, trees looking badly textured, and the game looking like just an “upscaled 3DS game”. While I do agree that the Wild Area trees are terrible-looking upon close inspection, I by no means view this game as just an “upscaled 3DS game”. The visuals of Sword and Shield are by far the greatest the series has to offer, with town areas and dungeons looking absolutely superb. Some critics think that the graphics need a dynamic change, but I couldn’t disagree more. Graphics are a subjective thing until you’re delaing with something like the textures of the game (like the trees.) If fans don’t like the Pokemon style, they shouldn’t be playing the games anymore. Sword and Shield mastered the style the franchise should have with the very interesting, beautifully rendered areas like the Glimwood Tangle and Ballonlea. I found these areas and others to be breathtaking upon first seeing them and I just really adored the look of these games. As for the character models, (the people and the Pokemon) they look just fine. They’re not the biggest upgrade, but they fit in well with the rest of the game’s style, so no problems in that department. If you are to find graphical flaws that aren’t only subjective, they can be found in the Wild Area. The trees and some ground textures (near water in particular) are a bit blurred and wonky. But then you gaze upon the surroundings as a whole and it looks quite nice. The lighting looks incredible in many areas, and I just found myself in awe of just about anything I was looking at. As for the animations, there are some new incredible animations (like Cinderace’s Pyro Ball) and many well-polished animations. There are however some of the same-old animations that didn’t work and still don’t work like double kick and tail whip. Overall, the visuals are extremely nice and just what I’d expect from a next-gen Pokemon game.

My Verdict:

Pokemon Sword and Shield was an exciting new adventure that brought me back to the old days of playing Pokemon, only without all the nuisance problems that once plagued the fun of the experience. This game reminded me of what it was like to wholeheartedly enjoy a new adventure with new lovable partners. The graphics and mechanics are beyond refreshing, even if some areas could be better polished. The narrative isn’t as wide as Gen 7′s, but it’s as solid as I’d expect a Pokemon story to get while not straying too far from the roots of what makes them good to begin with. At the end of the day, experiencing Galar was without a doubt worth the $60 price tag, and the memories gained from the experience is even more priceless.

Final Score: 9.2/10 👍

[love-takes-work]

Moon Fruit from the Jungle Moon!

If you’ve ever wanted to eat one of those weird pear-shaped purple fruits Stevonnie scores in “Jungle Moon,” try making this ridiculous cake! No food coloring involved. Tastes sort of fruity and includes ube and sugar plum essence.

Nom. 

Recipe below. (I invented this!)

See more SU food tutorials!

Okay! Ever want to eat that juicy, delicious-looking MOON FRUIT that Stevonnie chomps on during their adventures in "Jungle Moon"?

I mean, the normal answer is "no, I never thought of that, you bizarre person."

But if you are one of the few and the proud who is responding with an abnormal answer that sounds something like "yes, that looks delicious," I'm going to teach you how to make it!

As a CAKE!

Large fruit replicas from this show are not new to me. In fact, I made a giant strawberry cake in a previous recipe blog! For this mysterious fruit, I took similar inspiration regarding the desire to cook it to taste like what it looks like; as in, for the strawberry, I cooked actual strawberries into the cake.

But! For this mysterious fruit we have no idea what it is!

So I get to improvise!

The shape of it is sort of pear-like, even though it is purple. I decided why not make it taste like a plum? It is a little plum-like in color and apparent texture. But I also wanted it to taste kind of unusual, like a food on another world obviously would, so I decided to also incorporate natural purple coloring using my leftover ube extract from that time I made Lars's ube roll! Which should combine with plum for an INTERESTING flavor!

There are three parts to this cake. The cake; the foundation frosting; and the mirror glaze for that nice slick pear skin look!

PART ONE: CAKE

Ingredients:

2 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon sugar plum flavoring

1 3/4 teaspoons ube extract

1 cup buttermilk (I use powdered, reconstituted)

You will also need a few unusual items for this cake. Most notably: spherical cake pans! Mine is a 6-inch diameter sports ball cake pan I bought just for this recipe.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF / 175ºC.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set that aside for now.

Then take a large bowl and whip the butter and sugar together until it's light and fluffy. Once you've got a nice light texture, start beating in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Finally, beat in two extracts.

At this point, add in the dry ingredients slowly (add a little, stir, add a little, stir). Don't whip it up too much; just stir it all in. Then add the buttermilk and keep stirring it until you get a nice even mixture. It will seem really soupy and weird at first but I promise, it becomes an even, normal texture cake mix.

Grease and flour the two halves of the spherical cake pan. Greasing and flouring is VITAL because you want to have a smooth surface on your ball cake and you don't want any trouble getting the cake out.

Measure out 2 cups of batter and pour into one half, then measure out 2 cups of batter for the other. With what's left, split it evenly between the two halves as well as you can; I ended up with about 2 1/2 cups of batter in each half.

When you've completed the batter division, balance the pans on the rings that should come with them for stability and stick them on a cookie sheet in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes.

This cake took WAY longer to bake than I was told to expect based on the recipe and the pan instructions, so I recommend beginning to check for consistency with a toothpick around 30 minutes. (A toothpick should come out clean from the center, and poke it down there really good.) It's okay if the outside browns. It's still purple inside (and usually a little green because ube does that for some reason).

You should let the spherical cakes cool in their pans on a wire rack until they are COMPLETELY cool. While you wait for them to be cool, you can get your frosting ready!

PART TWO: FOUNDATION FROSTING

This is basically a typical buttercream with ube extract in it to turn it light lavender. If you have a recipe you prefer for this, feel free to use it, but this is my recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp almond milk

1/4 tsp ube extract

Instructions:

Take the butter and whip it. Then start adding in the powdered sugar. I prefer to sift the powdered sugar before I add. Only whip in half a cup at a time. Every time you add one cup of sugar, add a tiny splash of your pre-measured milk.

Once it’s whipped all together, you can add in the ube flavor and salt and stir it up. This may seem too runny, and if it does you can either add a tad more sugar or refrigerate it. If it seems a tad too thick you can add a splash more milk.

Once your cake is TOTALLY COOLED, you can work with it. Turn the cake out onto the wire racks and level them--meaning, you should take a serrated knife and chop off the parts of the cakes that rose in a dome at the place where it's supposed to be the flat center of the ball cake.

Do not discard these! You need them later, so keep them in one piece on a plate on the side!

Use the foundation frosting to glue the two halves of the cake together. You don't need to chop off the bottom of the sphere to make it stable; it seems to squish itself enough to hold steady and not roll around.

Once you have a cute ball, take your cast-offs from the leveling process and use three different biscuit cutters to make a little tower of cake cutouts. Use frosting to stack them on top of your cake. Weird, eh?

Then begin using the remainder of the foundation frosting to frost the whole cake. You should have just enough.

Work carefully to smooth the frosting, especially at the top where you have uneven, stair-like surface. Frosting will help give the illusion that it is smooth under there, but it takes some work.

And once you have it all frosted, this is important: REFRIGERATE YOUR CAKE! That will help the frosting become like a skin--more firm and will hold up well to the last thing you're going to do to it.

PART THREE: MIRROR GLAZE

Mirror glaze is a type of icing that is designed to pour like syrup and give a reflective, beautiful, mirror-like sheen to a cake.

The trouble I have with mirror glaze is that it usually uses gelatin and that isn't vegetarian, so I have to use a vegetarian alternative. Veg alternatives are not quite as shiny and reflective, but this will do very well for our fruit!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk or almond milk

1/8 cup sugar

1 cup buttermilk powder

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp agar-agar

1/3 cup water

2/3 cup light corn syrup

Another 2/3 cup sugar

150 grams white chocolate (I used chips)

First, some of these ingredients will get cooked into a "condensed milk."

If you would rather buy your own condensed milk in a can, you can ignore the first 5 ingredients of the list, but some people don't have condensed milk where they live or it's really expensive, so I'm just doing a version where we make our own.

(Uh, I also . . . forgot to buy some and realized it after I was way advanced in this recipe. Whoops.)

Instructions:

Place the milk or almond milk in a saucepan and heat on medium high until it almost reaches a boil. Then add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Once it's dissolved, sift in the milk powder, stirring with a whisk to attack the lumps.

Once the powder is smoothly incorporated, add the butter and the vanilla. Turn the temperature to low and stir for about a minute or two until it almost boils again. Then remove it from the heat and let it cool completely. If you have lumps, you can strain it to get them out. It will thicken more once it's cooled. Measure out half a cup of it to use in this recipe.

Then make the shiny glaze:

Instructions:

Measure out your 1/3 cup of water and then dump a little bit of it into a very shallow dish. Stir the agar-agar into it and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Agar-agar is a vegetable-based gelatin type thing and it will do something similar to gelatin: it will thicken this syrup.

In a heavy saucepan, add your corn syrup, sugar, condensed milk, and remaining water. Let it come to a boil over medium heat. Once the sugar has dissolved and the mix is at a slow boil, take it off the heat. Let it stop boiling and rest for a moment before adding the white chocolate. The chocolate should melt. Finally, add the agar-agar mix.

If you want to strain the glaze to get any lumps you see, you can do that here.

I very strongly recommend straining the mixture.

I think most of the lumps in mine came from making my own condensed milk, but even if you use store-bought, some white chocolate or agar can cause clumpy CLODS and not incorporate completely. You do NOT want some of these lumps interrupting your perfect sheen! Add a couple drops of ube to turn it purple and let it come to room temperature.

Look at this shiny mirror glaze! It's so pretty!

You absolutely do not want to do this with warm glaze. DO NOT. Even if you think it's fine or that it won't pour properly if it's cold; I assure you, it will pour. It's syrupy. You don't want it to be warm. It will melt your cake frosting and NOT STAY ON THE CAKE.

Listen to me! Cool your glaze!

Next comes the moment of truth: Assembly.

Take the cake out of the fridge. Make sure your glaze is cool as well. Then set the cake on a wire rack and put a catching dish underneath. You will want to catch and reuse this frosting, so make sure you use a broad dish that will be able to catch anything that drips off the cake.

Pour the glaze, starting at the top. Just pour.

Pour an entire coat and then do something weird: Use a hair dryer on cool/low to set the icing and make it shinier.

This is a cool technique I learned for frosting!

Keep pouring new coats onto the cake. It's wonderful! Once you've exhausted your original supply, wait for it to stop dripping for the most part and then switch plates underneath, using what's dripped off the cake as a second coat. I did three coats on my cake.

Okay! So now you have a beautiful purple pear Jungle Moon cake. It still needs one thing though. A stem. I used licorice!

Enjoy your beautiful cake. Shiny purple on the outside and even purple inside, and it tastes like a weird fruit!

YEAH RECIPES!!! AND YES IT WAS DELICIOUS!!

See more SU food tutorials!

[bxstiae]

alright, i decided to tackle this hylian language a bit more seriously. please refer to THIS POST though for more information. if you have any questions about what link can or cant understand, feel free to contact me. everything else will be under a read more as this will kinda be a bit extensive and tackle a few things.

please note that i am not a linguistics major, i never took a class in my life, this headcanon in basely solely on what i managed to scrap up together in my 5ish hours of looking through information & videos. it is a bit of a mess but i hope as time progresses, and i get to compare languages, i can touch and finalise this up a bit.

DO NOT REBLOG OR REUSE THIS FOR YOUR OWN HC.  regardless of game.

I work hard on my HCs, i do not want this to be snatched up. if you want to discuss, then lets discuss. I have similar HC for many of the LOZ games mainly in Skyward Sword & Breath of the Wild. I am more than willing to share if you come and discuss with me. otherwise, DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING from this post without permission. 

For a quick overview about Hylian and the scriptures, you can read up about it here.

please note: I AM COMPLETELY IGNORING THE TWILI LANGUAGE HERE, THAT IS FOR ANOTHER DAY.

Fortunately the Hylian scriptures for Twilight Princess ( the 4th hylian script ) is actually one of the EASIER languages to.... not only translate, but it has a more definitive lettering style ( i.e. letters aren’t repeated like they are in the other scripts ( ss & botw repeat letters ). Below is the 4th Hylian alphabet: ( taken from this site. )

please note the following:

we are NOT going to look at the wii version of the game. I have both the wii and the wiiu version, and the wiiu version reverts it back to it’s original styling. the wii version is just everything mirrored and is a bit of a hassle to explain so for our purposes, we will consider the alphabet as it’s original forme. 

reading about the language got me realising that the different types of hylian could be taken from hieroglyphs ( like egyptian ), obviously japanese, & latin. you can see it throughout the 6 scripts just look:

below is the sixth hylian script:

Its important to note all of these when considering the PHONETICS of hylian. Like I said before, there are different dialects of hylian && the change depending on if its newer or older. So the accent could sound different depending on which world you are in. So the same words can be said differently depending on which Link you talk to. While each Link would understand one another, their accents would be slightly different. Since this is TWILIGHT PRINCESS link, i will discuss a bit about TP Link. As i mentioned, i do have HCs for Skyward Sword Link and Breath of the Wild Link, but I am not going to get into that. 

So for how Hylians talk in Twilight Princess, i actually had to look at the names of the enemies to get an idea of the nomenclature. Here the enemy list of twilight princess. In addition to that, here are the characters of twilight princess. These names are all important as it gives a little bit of insight in regards to how they spell names and what they call things.

I looked into latin linguistics && phonetics first as it looked like the 4th hylian script seems to come from the latin alphabet for english. latin is also easier for me as half my family comes form a latin speaking family ( the other is slavic based ). I found two videos for how latin was spoken.

 here is a video on latin consonant pronunciation:

&& here is the vowel video

looking back at the names of enemies in twilight princess after watching these videos, kinda helped give me a better understanding of how link would talk. essentially there are hard sounds in the names, s is NEVER z, & R’s are rolled ( most likely ALWAYS ). granted, there are some names what would be hard to say in Twilight Princess, but there are far & few in between, for the most part, you can kinda tell that they are latin based. just take aeralfos for example. the ae in that word alone is enough to tell you that there’s latin in there.

i’ve taken enough years of spanish to probably be biased as well, but i cannot ignore the fact that there are romance languages in some of the names of enemies and names of the TP people. you can also.... copy and paste their names into google translate as well to hear how a latin speaker would say it, but there are times when google translate wants to translate from italian, french, and EVEN catalan. 

Obviously the japanese names for the enemies are a different story but.... then again, what is to say that hylain takes from both latin AND japanese. I wouldn’t doubt it tbh. not to mention that the gerudo reminds me of egypt due to their living conditions and style of clothing comes from egyptian roots. but that’s gerudo -- not hylian. ( though i’m sure hylians living amongst the gerudo probably have their own kind of hylian as well thats closer to gerudo roots ). Let’s also not forget that i also mentioned that twili is a FORM of hylian ( so possibly you can see latin & arabic roots there ). But we aren’t talking about twili language this is strictly hylian. so back to hylian.

my take on it is that link’s accent is heavy as in, you can tell he is a foreigner. he’s easy to hear because he speaks clearly..... ( when he speaks ) but hard to understand because it may sound like something you know, and your brain probably wants to understand, but it sounds.... off. like i said he will most likely always roll his Rs, his Cs sound like Ks, I’s with the Es, & so on.... there may be some distinction for some words & names, that sound more asian than latin, but its mainly cause as I have said before, the hylian scriptures also seem to take from a variety of languages so i would be surprised about it. 

as always, i will try to further develop his language, i just... don’t have a lot to go on. if anybody knows any other language and wants to talk about this, please let me know. i would love to compare languages and see what other people think. 

im sorry about this mess, i just needed to write all of this down before i forget.