#honestly i think it does for sari

[rain-candles-jazz]

whumpcember day 11: clothing that doesn't fit

tw: mention of self-harm

Sariel lay in her cell on the cot that Itchy had given her... being the infinitely gracious being that he was...

Normally, she had no issues sleeping, but tonight, she had company. Sari didn't understand why Itchy kept her in a cell.  Its not like she could do anything against him with the chip in her neck, attached painfully to her spinal cord.  She guessed it was a safety measure.  Perhaps Itchy wasn't able to gain control of her as easily in his sleep and assumed she would take any opportunity to perform violence upon him... and he was absolutely right.

So she supposed her captivity was warranted, but her neighbor...  well, he was crying for god's sake.  Sari had met Deego many times but had never had reason to talk to him.  He seemed the same as her: a thrall to a madman... a madwoman in his case, even if Lady Faleece was a superior, Sari still recognized that she was using him in a way that harmed him...

  Sari could see Deego, curled in on himself in a cell just across a small hallway on the opposite wall.  For the last two hours, she had been ignoring him.  Intermittently, he would get quiet and Sari would begin to drift off, only for him to begin sobbing again after a few minutes.

At last, Sari had had enough.  She stood up to her full height, angrily stomping to the edge of her cell and yelling down at the pathetic shape before her.  "Will you shut the hell up, you worm!!"

The curled figure tensed up and seemed to try and make itself even smaller.  Sari curled her lip at the disgusting display of cowardice, but he had stopped making noise for the moment.  Sari started to tramp back to her cot, but her anger wasn't quite sated.  The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.  

She turned back around to stare at him again.  "You are truly pathetic," she sneered.

Deego had turned himself into a kneeling position, knees on the ground, bent forward, hugging his arms to each other as though trying to hide them.  "I know..." he whispered.

From this position, and in spite of his efforts, Sari could see white scars zig-zagging down his arm.  "You're not special," Sari growled.  "We all have things to be ashamed of."  She brought a hand to her own arm, feeling the few scars she now had.  "Crying isn't going to change anything," she continued coldly.

Deego didn't respond, fidgeting his hands over himself, still trying to hide his skin from her.  She realized that when she saw him prior to today, he was always fully dressed, with sleeves that covered his arms no matter the temperature.  No doubt Itchy had taken his shirt altogether just for the psychological torment it would cause Deego.

"Hiding them doesn't change anything," Sari narrowed her eyes.  She couldn't imagine wearing anything as restrictive as the sweaters and coats she always saw him in.  Even if she had obtained scars an adjunct wasn't supposed to ever have, she never thought to try and hide them.  "They will still be there," she said, as much to herself as to Deego.

He turned his head away from her.  Tears still fell from his face, but he was obviously trying to stifle his cries.

Sari huffed and went back to her cot.  She lay there for a few minutes, then turned her head to see Deego still sitting in the same position he had been in a moment ago, arms still twisted in an attempt to shield them.

Sari growled again loudly, standing up once more.  Deego recoiled, clenching his eyes shut.

Itchy didn't have a lot of compassion, but he was efficient.  As such, he couldn't be bothered with the mundane tasks such as hygiene for his little experiments.  Sari was given whatever clothes could be found that Itchy thought looked "cool".  She kept them in a wooden box in the corner of her cell.

In frustration and annoyance, she dug through her clothes until she found a large black shirt - long sleeved, meant as an undershirt for colder weather. Sari reached through the bars of her cell and tossed the shirt roughly through Deego's cell.  It landed right overtop of his head and covered most of him.

"Take this and shut up!" she barked.

She watched as he removed the clothing and observed it with wet eyes.  He hurriedly threw it over his head and seemed to crawl through it, worming his arms through it like they were lost.  Of course, anything that fit Sari well would be huge on this tiny pathetic being.  It looked comical, like a child in an adult's shirt.

Looking down at himself, Deego tilted his head and actually seemed to brighten up a bit.  He turned to her, eyes sparkling.  "Thank you!" he said in a sweet tone. Sari crossed her arms and looked away, blushing.  "Just... just remember what I said... They don't go away just because you can't see them."

Deego wiped his face on the huge black sleeves that hung over his hands.  He stared at the ground a moment, then nodded at her.

Sari went back to her cot and was finally able to get to sleep.

[otaku553]

The way you described sarie in the tags of your Sabo au reminds me a lot about boa and my favorite interpretation of her love for luffy: that boa isn’t really in love w luffy, she’s just so traumatized that she thinks she’s in love the first time she meets a guy that sees her for the person she is and doesn’t judge her for her past. Sarie seems like she’s the same way, with Sabo treating her well and making her believe that she’s in love when she’s rlly just experiencing decency for the first time

Heheheh yeah! I agree strongly on that for Boa and Luffy, I think that Boa does not actually feel romantic attraction to luffy but is just so alienated from this feeling of platonic friendship as a result of being the object of other people’s attraction and having been exposed to that for so long, what she has with luffy is unique and she comes to perceive it as “love,” just not necessarily the kind of love she thinks it is.

That said, with Sarie, I do feel that it is a bit different! It’s not so much “decency” that she is experiencing for the first time from Sabo, but rather honesty. The problem with being a princess is that everyone tells her that they love her, and at some point, she must realize that these are shallow words that people use to endear themselves to her for ulterior motives. I’ve been turning around this phrase in my head: ‘the realm of nobility is not one in which truths are said.’ Sarie herself is such a strong example of this in canon with her verbal tic of triple negations which make it very difficult to understand her, so playing on that, I think she would also have an intimate understanding of the ways nobles twist words and never say things straight out.

Now take Sabo, who has been one of her suitors for the better part of their teenage years, who she knows his parents have been trying to get with her to get an in to the royal family for ages, and he talks to her the night before she makes the decision on who to marry as the princess, who to choose as the third heir to the throne, and he says: “look. We both know that this is something my parents have always wanted more than me. You don’t have to choose me.” And she asks what he would do if he were king, and he answers about all the people he would help and all the ideas he has to better Goa for the masses, and. She’s charmed. I think Sabo is, if nothing else, capable of being extremely extremely genuine about the good he wants to do in the world, and he makes clear to her, in no uncertain terms, that he would be a good king, but doesn’t want to be king because he both respects her choice and knows that he is doing this for ulterior motives.

That honesty, in his moment of vulnerability, is what wins her over. But not quite just that— it is the way that he is so determined to save others, when she has been thinking for the past years about how miserable he looks and how she wants to save him somehow.

Now also, imagine that Sarie has been told for all her life the words “I love you.” And not a single time has those words been said in truth, in full genuine affection and care for her as a person rather than her as a princess, her as a vehicle to the throne, her as a political token for the royal family, her as a mascot and mouthpiece. I think this honesty that Sabo shows is a lifeline she clings onto, because she knows after his confession that he is capable, in moments of vulnerability, of being honest. And I think she truly wants to hear Sabo say to her, honestly, the words “I love you.” I think she wants to know that there is at least someone in the world that truly loves her, and she just thinks it will be easiest with Sabo because she can give Sabo everything he wants: means to help the people through political authority. She just gives it in what she hopes will be an exchange for his honest love.

I have very many thoughts about Sarie haha :) I don’t think she’s a good person, but I do think she has the potential to be a very complex character. This au is largely my way of examining the ways growing up with nobility might have affected the characters that are most closely associated with nobility. I think they must be very fucked up but in different ways from the main one piece cast and its usual supporting characters.

[for-ships-that-never-sail]

Okay Y'ALL I saw Episode 5 today and these are the thoughts I jotted down while watching it (PART 2 OF 2)

Please don’t read below the cut if you are avoiding spoilers until you get to watch it yourself 

And FYI some of these may not have any context, but I guess it won’t matter cause you’ll have context in 7ish hours anyway (also sorry about how long all my thoughts and feelings are lol)

Awh Kate you’re so pretty - kinda weird to see her so chill though - she was so stressed all of season 2 that seeing her so serene is throwing me off tbh - I am so happy for you though my love

Also her outfit that looks like a sari is soooo gorgeous I WANTTTT

Love the cinnamon biscuits vs fruit jellies bit

Portia ma'am please listen to Varley FFS

lol I hope they did in fact fuck again like she wanted

Ugly crying at MY MESSSSSS

PARIS? oufff I love how comfortable she is, just casual teasing chit chats with bestie

“Undefended”? Charlotte needs a different hobby pleaseeee

LOLLLLL when did Penelope learn to do her hair and makeup by herself???? Cause there’s no fucking way she would’ve looked THAT fucking good after alllll of that lol

We were going to be KNIGHTS!! OMG sweet babiessss

“as much as I do” I can’t even blame anyone for anything they’ve done or said so far tbh 

This is such nuanced writing — I understand exactly where pretty much everyone is coming from and that’s really nice tbh 

Omg they really do want Cressida to marry a dinosaur 

WTF Cressida you do you girl fuck shit up for Penelope I don’t even care do whatever you have to do and go all out and save yourself cause no one else will I’m so sorry you were ever put in this position  

We have been acting uncouth AS OF LATE??? as of late????!? Omggg Portia girl pleaseeeee you had ONE job and you’re just gonna pass the buck to your daughters instead? STAHP own up to your shit cause you knowwww they bully her because youuu bullied her and the gall to say this is just happening LATELY on top lmao 

Though like in her eyes I always do see remorse too - I think she just lacks courage to ever really own up to everything in full because she’s just so guarded 

Honestly this is such stellar acting 

And also like, Penelope, most of you is your mom my girl - your brains, your overthinking, your inability to just say Yuh I done fucked up my bad lol 

Greg’s hat

Yesssss lord Kent find you some Bridgerton besties 

I actually do love Portia - yeah she’s been a colossal dick of a mom to Pen but as complex women go, I get her - If she makes amends with Pen for them daily microaggressions and general abuse one day, for real for real, she’d be really great 

Omg Mama B and Lady D are such big shippers - wish they didn’t fully cut out the Lady D stuff from the books though le sigh 

Eloise has a point - I agree - she had lotsss of alone time to say it - I understand Pens fear completely, but she must realize that her saying this is still soooo much better than him having to find out on his own - and there is no way he wouldn't - and he’d be more hurt by that part than the actual LW part I think and honestly Eloise is right about her being involved in that painful deception too, I wouldn’t want my own brother to feel betrayed by me like that either, given how often he wished LW ill out loud - and the longer Pen stays quiet the more guilty Eloise becomes as a sister too - If anything her not immediately snitching makes her moreee team Pen than team Colin - this is still a lowkey loyalty to Pen for sure - I think I may have issued this same ultimatum under these conditions too

Omggg JOHNNNNNN stop he’s having a panic attack why did Fran put him on the spot like thissss????

“As you rightly mocked me last season” lolllll

Awh Colin and the toast 

Eloise should nottttt have done her second toast - now THAT part was uncalled for, but I guess they want to keep the stress levels high 

Lmao Kate to the rescue 

I loveeeee how close they are sitting in public - but like… does nooooo one else see this??? Hips glued together? Hands holding??? Just out in the open?? No one thinks this is insanely intimate for a newly engaged couple of the ton??? Even if it’s a love match? None of the older women are clocking this and saying 1. Sit the fuck apart 2. Did yall fuck already cause yall look like you fucked and we don’t even have a wedding date set yet??? Are you not going to even ask for a special license?? You just want her to pop a baby before she technically should and cause more drama?? Like who is in charge of all these fools?? Mama B what is you doing??? Do you not think Colin is being a nasty girl with his wife-to-be?? lol

Lol Anthony I love you, you competitive lil bitch 

Lmaooooo Eloise and Penelope being the smartest bitches of the ton YESSSS

Portia trying to show where Pen's brain comes from lol

Muddy boots panic again 

LMFAOOOOOOO Mama B your face is going a mile a minute right now listening to the muddy boots

"I saw straight away" OH MY FROHN you will end me one day

Pen get your shit together pls grab a brown paper bag or smthn 

Oooohhhhh fuck I get itttttt

Cressida girl my bad I get ittttttt sooooo much more - I didn’t fully understand her thought process behind what we already knew she was gonna do until just nowwww - they really set it up for her well - girl needed an exit and everyone fully offered her one - I have no issues with this at all tbh 

Omg omg this is the most chaotic midnight strike of all time like 6 different things happened at the same time???? 

Well that was some good old fashioned Bridgerton CHAOS Hope y'all enjoyed it too!!!! LESS THAN 8 HOURS TO GOOOOOOOOOO

[ninalanfer]

Not having the brain to count or think and make decisions for a garment rn, no matter how hype I am about another summer top or tee, I cast on the Laulu Shawl (my spring is apparently all about Sari Nordlund's patterns...) the other day. And after a couple of false starts, because the gauge seemed... Super weird to me (but I've never done a cable shawl or knit with mohair before). So I blocked it and decided that no, I did prefer the 4.5mm needles (I tried 4, 4.5, 5 and 5.5mm). So here it is now! And this color combo. Yikes I'm in love. The mohair is Novita Tuuli and the wool one is Gjestal Fryd that I've overdyed green from a mid gray. So quite a cooler green, that still leans towards yellow. Together they make music! Which can be fitting, laulu is a word for song in Finnish (apparently, I don't speak it myself).

But can I take a moment and ask if anyone else also have had trouble finding a mohair that's a nice green color? All I see is dark dark dusty, or light light pastels. So boring. Give me color! That's not neon. So I was so happy when I found this shade in Tuuli. I've heard that Tuuli will bleed a lot in the wash, but honestly, I don't really mind if it does in this project, haha!

The Laulu Shawl is rather small, just a shawlette in the pattern. But I have 600 meters of each strand, so I plan to knit it much bigger, as I'm not much for the shawlette style myself.

[ered]

in case you've missed it, and I'm assuming most of you have, we're having a presidential election here in Finland. First round is currently going on, so I thought I'd give you a quick run down of our candidates!

(in alphabetical order, party in parentheses)

Mika Aaltola (independent): Has mainly worked in academia and apparently has experience in international politics, which is good for the job. I honestly know next to nothing about this dude, but he seems to positively radiate Just Some Guy energy. What would be interesting about him winning: I have no idea. Chances of winning: Ehhh - but it wouldn't be the first time we get a president from outside the daily politics.

Li Andersson (Left Alliance): current leader of the Left Alliance, former Minister of Education. What most people seem to say about her: "she's clearly the best choice, but has no chance of winning so I won't be voting for her." What would be interesting about her winning: first Left Alliance president Chances of winning: Unfortunately slim. Left Alliance is a small party and half of the country still seems to think they're Evil Communists.

Sari Essayah (Christian Democrats): she's also the leader of her party. Most known for being a former racewalker and religious. What would be interesting about her winning: How the hell did it happen??? Chances of winning: zero.

Pekka Haavisto (Green League): Former Minister of the Environment, International Development, and Foreign Affairs (three different terms, not all at once). He was born in 1958 and hasn't done much beyond politics. He's been in the presidential race twice already too, both times losing to our current president, Sauli Niinistö. What would be interesting about him winning: first gay president. Chances of winning: he made it to the final round twice already, so maybe third time's a charm? He has been polling first this time around.

Jussi Halla-aho (Finns Party): a prominent rightwing blogger, a Slavic linguist by education, and the current Speaker of the Parliament. He's "immigration critical" in the same vein "gender criticals" tend to be. He's is considered something of an intellectual in the rightwing circles despite having the vibes of an anthropomorphic raisin, and has amassed a cult following - who literally call him Mestari (master, but in Finnish the vibes are more a master of a trade and not some dude who spanks you in the bedroom. What would be interesting about him winning: finding out if I can immigrate to Denmark. Chances of winning: none if I can help it, but like I said, he does have a very solid fanbase.

Hjallis Harkimo (Movement Now): best known for being the owner of an ice-hockey team or something. His real name is Harry and for some reason he has been elected into the parliament twice. I assume it's the famous allure of a "successful businessman" or because he's something of a celebrity? Who knows. What would be interesting about him winning: How did it happen? Chances of winning: slim.

Olli Rehn (Centre Party): Served as the Minister of Economic Affairs for like a year under our most fuck-witted prime minister in recent history. Not much else to say about it. Somehow seems older than Pekka Haavisto tho he's actually younger. What would be interesting about him winning: absolutely nothing. He's so dull it's almost offensive. Chances of winning: who knows? Maybe he'll be a dark horse if all other candidates fall flat.

Alexander Stubb (National Coalition Party): Former Prime Minister, and former Minister of Finance. He's ehhhhhh not the worst possible option, honestly, and is on the more liberal side of the Rich Getting Richer party. What would be interesting about him winning: how will he be different from our current (National Coalition Party) president, I guess Chances of winning: last I checked, he was polling second, so I guess it's a possibility?

Jutta Urpilainen (Social Democratic Party): Former Minister of Finance. Social Democrats are one of the biggest parties we have, but they took a while deciding on who to pick. She's alright. Social Democrats are usually fine, and she'a long term Social Democrat. What would be interesting about her winning: uhh... possibly the first president to have released a Christmas album? Chances of winning: I just don't think she's that popular, to be honest. But she might make it into top three at least, like I said, it's one of the biggest parties behind her.

[serialadoptersbracket]

Round 2, Match 59: Fukuzawa Yukichi vs. Optimus Prime

Submitted kids:

Fukuzawa Yukichi: The entire detective agency (in order of acquisition— Ranpo, Yosano, Kunikida, Dazai, the Tanizaki siblings, Kenji, Atsushi, Kyoka)

Optimus Prime: Bumblebee, then depending on continuity, Cliffjumper, Smokescreen, Arcee, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, the Aerialbots, Sari Sumdac, Jack Darby, Miko Nakadai, Raf Esquivel, and possibly others

Propaganda under the cut!

Fukuzawa Yukichi:

1. “At about 32 he used to be an bodyguard for hire who only works alone then he met this 14 year old (Ranpo) who had no parents and was kicked out of the police academy. He ended up feeding him (I think Ranpo was homeless at this point not 100% sure tho. He is also a genius estimated iq as high as 200) and said he would help him free of charge (bodyguard) if he called. He ended up getting called and investigated something with him. Ranpo saw the world very plainly and cried to Fukuzawa about how scary it is. Fukuzawa helped Ranpo realize that not everyone is pretending not to know things they literally don't know what he does (big issue with Ranpo partly what he was crying about too i think. They have an entire episode (i think it's the first one in the 4th season) devoted to their backstory together which is black, white, and gray when it's from Ranpo's perspective until Fukuzawa helps him realize this and it turns colored. Fukuzawa ends up deciding he wants to create a detective agency (working with others!) with Ranpo not yet tho we still have one more kid first. Later when Fukuzawa's doing a bodyguard job he along with Ranpo end up rescuing a girl (Yosano!) from the man he was guarding (future mafia boss currently a doctor). Yosano ends up becoming a doctor for the detective agency when it's created. After it's created he ends up taking in another 14 year old (Kenji).

He also loves cats and has shoujo anime-esque cherry blossom flashbacks with his old childhood friend who asked him if he wanted to go to fight in war with him, Fukuzawa denied his request. They also have a like 15 min soft-lighting conversation while watching their memories of their childhood together in the latest ep.”

2. “This man literally created a whole detective agency for this one really smart boy (Ranpo) and taught him that he wasn't the one in the wrong but everyone else when he couldn't understand people. Then, he saves Yosano from the trauma this other guy was inflicting on her and brings her to the Agency. The Agency basically becomes the place where all his kids are. His special ability lets those in the Agency control their abilities so Atsushi and Kyouka don't have to be afraid of their out of control abilities anymore. He cares so much for all of them and during the Cannibalism arc when his life is literally on the line, they do everything in their power to save him.”

3. “My guy just CANNOT stop adopting kids. He went from lone wolf assassin to Dad of Many. His first (adopted) child, Ranpo, basically forced him to adopt him (he was like “I’m a teenager with no family or home. You GOTTA adopt me. Because I say so.”) From there he kept accidentally adopting every orphan he came across. Honestly the detective agency is more like a glorified orphanage except they let their kids carry guns.”

4. “A former Goverment assassin who stopped once he realized he was starting to enjoy killing people, Fukuzawa is looking for a job when he bumps into Ranpo, a genius capable of figuring out any mystery, who can’t understand how the world works. Taking Ranpo under his wing Fukuzawa tries a white lie that Ranpo has a special ability and manages to let Ranpo interact with the world without fear for the first time in years since he can know understand the problem wasn’t everyone acting like they couldn’t figure out things but that no one was as smart as him. They found the Armed Detective Agency specifically to use Ranpo’s abilities to help people and to have jobs.

He then saves Yosano from Mori, his ex something who after using her special ability to heal any injury as long as the person is about to die during the War, wanted to use it take control of their local mafia. Instead Fukuzawa and Ranpo rescue her and let her recover from her trauma and come into herself.

He then goes on to provide a place for Kunikida to fulfill his ideals, Dazai a place to do good after his own past in the mafia, Kenji a place to help people, Tanizaki and Naomi (siblings that don’t seem to have any guardians) work to support them, and Atsushi a place to work on his own trauma by protecting people. Fukuzawa later let’s Kyouka, another defection from the mafia, stay and work at the agency so she can help people and not have to kill them anymore. The entire Armed Detective Agency live in dorms that Fukuzawa provided. He also is very protective, putting everything on the line to help members of the Agency escape any danger he knows of. Like when Atsushi is kidnapped he bribes Ranpo to find him and sends Kunikida to rescue him. He sees any danger to the agency and its members as something for him to stop.”

Optimus Prime:

“#VOTE OPTIMUS HE'S THE DAD OF ALL TIME AND HAS ISSUES”

[riding-with-the-wild-hunt]

your tolkien edits are always so lovely, do you have graphics editors that inspire you?

hey anon.. would you perhaps want to join me in a small and tumbledown cliff-side castle by the shining sea within whose shelter we can spend the rest of our days. circle yes or no

anyways!! tumblr is the school of athens and i am but a humble student sitting at the feet of greater talents, so here are a few of my biggest editing inspirations for your happy perusal:

@himemiyaaah / @tarninausta - probably my original editing inspiration back when i took my first waddling steps into making graphics myself! rosie just has such an amazing command of color, style, balance, etc.. her edits are so beautiful and harmonious, and i love her expressive use of text.

@miriel-therindes - also someone i discovered early on! i swear there isn't a form lyndeth hasn't tried her hand at and succeeded with in high style. her incredible sense and editing of colors and creative typography are just !!!

@arwenindomiel /@edwinas - the enormously talented mastermind behind tolkien south asian week! her edits are striking and have a real cinematic feel with bold, gorgeously cohesive color palettes (her dramatic shadows are spectacular) as well as innovative use of text and other graphic elements that just tie it all together each time.

@emyn-arnens - save me atlas of arda series atlas of arda series save me !! whenever i need inspiration on how to make dynamic edits that don't include people, i go to this master of her craft. her colors mesh so well together, her formatting is creative and refreshing, and her photo choices are on point. whence does her power flow.

@aredhels - so elegant and sleek! sari is so good at using all the parts of her edits to evoke the desired mood--for lack of a better word, everything she makes is just so aesthetic. i love her understated, low-text style and how she can make incredibly compelling edits just with her impeccable image choices and color editing. and besides all that she singlehandedly gave me the confidence to experiment with the eight-image picspam format yayay

@tilions - legendary user of non-text elements! i honestly have no idea how emily comes out with some of the image layering that they do. her edits feel professional-grade (hoping tentatively that this is a comparison that makes sense but who knows). she makes such bold color choices! it's easy to be scared off by bright palettes but apparently emily is immune to aesthetic fear. she also concocts these amazing silhouette edits that are like those 70s nasa posters and it's. so cool.

@russingon - i want to imbibe mayim's delicious color palettes into myself for real. something about them is so distinctive and pleasing! how much punch he can pack into a two-image edit never ceases to astound. i'm especially fond of their family/house edits (i love seeing their great faceclaim choices all together)!

@brighter-arda - toi is so endlessly committed to making the tolkien fandom a more diverse, inclusive, and accepting space, and i really admire all the work she puts in to uplift other creators. her own edits have really interesting and creative themes and formatting, and it's wonderful how she always incorporates meaningful elements of the character's culture.

@someoneinthestars - their use of darker colors is so evocative, and i love their latine tolkien series! they often align text to elements within the image, which takes such precision (i've only done it once, i think!), but when they do it it always comes out gorgeously.. awuagh.

@outofangband - the attention and research nelyo puts into their environmental edits could power three mid-size cities and i have nothing but respect for them and their dedication. honestly i think they know more about the ecology of middle earth than tolkien himself did when he made it (and he also never made edits about it, so another point to nelyo)!

anyways, this is only a cross-section of the plethora of amazing and talented people i get to share this community with, but i hope it was what you were looking for anon! many many thanks for giving me the ever-welcomed opportunity to kvell a little over some of my favorite creators, and as always, many many thanks to those creators themselves for sharing their spectacular works ♡♡♡

[officalroyalsofpierreland]

Let's Talk about the Dress

Birkhall Estate, The Highlands, Kingdom of Scots

Marie Christine: It is such a beautiful day today. Hortense: Indeed. The rainbow is such a beautiful touch as well.

Marie Christine: Is everything going okay with working on your dress? Hortense [sighing]: Sadly no...I wish I could wear my mama's but...[sarcastically] my dear sister decided to wear it. Marie Christine: tsk tsk. The audacity. It is as if I asked Katalina to wear her mother's sari...I am sorry that it happened Hortense...but Victoria and I hope we can be of some assistance.

Hortense: You both definately will be! You've both married in and had to deal with this process...I'm just surprised the only requirement being a scottish designer. Marie Christine: I was shocked as well...I luckily found a scottish designer in Pierreland...but I take it the search isn't going well in Francesim? Hortense: Not really...none of their current designs speak to me enough to warrent me speaking to them further. Marie Christine: Well..I hope you won't mind that I invited a designer of the up most discretion to join us all for tea. I think you'll enjoy working with her.

Butler: Your Majesty & Your Imperial Highness, welcome back to Birkhall. Let me escort you to the Lilac Drawing Room. Marie Christine: Thank you Zion.

Hortense: You invited a designer? Your Majesty, I- Marie Christine: Hortense, darling, it is Victoria and I's honor. After all, you are marrying her favorite grandson. [Hortense chuckling]

Hortense: This designer...have I seen her work? Marie Christine: Potentially...she's not aligned with a fashion house but she does wear most of her own creations. Hortense: I see...I am most intrigued.

Equerry: Her Majesty the Queen & Her Imperial Highness Madame Hortense of Francesim. Evie: Your Majesty & Your Imperial Highness. Hortense: Evie!

Evie: I take it you replaced the Duke of Argyll as a favorite of Queen Victoria- Marie Christine [sighing]: Evie Caroline McPherson do not finish that sentence. The Dowager Queen does not have favorites.

Evie [whispering]: She says she doesn't have favorites...but she sure loves Oli and Magnus a ton. Hortense [rolling her eyes]: Evie, let's not get you in trouble. Are you here to meet the designer with me? Evie: Oh they didn't tell you? I am the designer! Hortense: Really?

Evie: Who better to help you make you look amazing on your big day, and prevent the press from finding out! Hortense: Would it really be a bad thing if the press finds out the designer? Evie: It'd definately ruin the fun of the design cause people would be trying to find every little detail of it before the day...it just gets messy.

Hortense: I hope you can help me with this Evie...I've been struggling..I want something that will make the Scots Royal Family proud but also my own. Evie: Honestly, the Stuarts wouldn't mind if you showed up in a track suit to get married...Simpartes on the other hand...I don't know...my goal is to make sure you feel beautiful and confident when you walk down that aisle. Regardless of the protocol police.

Hortense [laughing]: Has Oliver been spreading that term around the friend- Equerry: Her Majesty, Dowager Queen Victoria of the Scots and Her Imperial Majesty Madame Mere Marie Josephine of Francesim.

Evie & Hortense: Your Majesties. Victoria: Thank you Group Captain Holden. That'll be all. Madame Mere, the young woman in the purple pant suit is Lady Evie McPherson. The promising young designer. Evie, Why don't we go set up tea and let Hortense and her mother speak. Evie: Of course Ma'am.

Hortense: Bonjour Mama! Marie Josephine: Bonjour Hortie. Did you think I would miss this? Hortense: To be honest, this meeting came as quite a surprise for me.

Marie Josephine: It is quite a big event, and quite a big deal for both nations...I know the Imperial Household is wrapped up in your brother's coronation right now but imagine that amount of effort being put in here. I do think it's high time you settle on what you'd like out of a dress. Hortense [whispering]:I wish I could've worn yours though... Marie Joesphine: I know my sweet girl. Perhaps we can take inspiration from it and craft something that fits you and your big day. After all, you will be a future queen. This dress is for you but also for the Scots and Francesim.

Victoria: I think we can all agree...that one of the biggest things people will speak about of in this wedding, is Hortense's dress. Hortense, I know you've been going through a list of designers?

Hortense: Yes...None of their works speak to me but I have seen some of what Evie has built for herself and she knows how I see style, so I definately see this working! Marie Christine: Excellent. Now I do know that His Holiness is also attending, so Evie, you must keep that in mind even though I know Hortense was going to probably ask for sleeves and such.

Marie Josephine: Lady Evie, I do know that Hortense had dreamed of wearing my own dress since she was a girl, I can arrange for the Imperial Household to let you take a look at it in order to influence your design. Hortense: Oh yes, that would be lovely Mama! I also would like to take inspiration from Queen Marie Christine's gown as well. Marie Christine: I can also arrange for the Royal Archives to pull out my dress as well.

Evie [thoughtfully]: Thank you Ma'ams. I have actually been studying your dress Madame Mere and I do have some design ideas that I would love to run by this formidable council of women. Hortense: Well, Evie, Fire away. Evie: So for the neckline I'm thinking....

2 hours later

Butler: The Dowager Queen is still in her meeting sir. Oliver: I thought Granny's schedule was clear? Butler: This was last minute arranged by the Queen's Household sir. Oliver: By Mum's? What the bloody hell is-

Victoria: Ah, Oli! Thank you for being so paitent my gàrlach (little rouge). I think I've had my fill of tea but we can take a quick walk in the gardens. Marie Josephine: Oliver, I didn't know you were going to be here! Victoria: We usually have tea every Saturday. A little tradition of ours. I do hope that all of your future grandchildren can have that sense of closeness.

Oliver: Hello Granny. We can take a quick stroll. I was supposed to meet Hortense at the polo match in a bit... Victoria: We also do not have to meet this weekend sweetheart.

Oliver: Madame Mere. I hope you are finding your time here enjoyable. Marie Josephine: Indeed Oliver. I see where you're groundeness and goodness comes from and it assures me that Hortense shall be well taken care of. Oliver: I am glad Your Imperial Majesty. It is my main goal in life.

Oliver: Now Granny, Am I in trouble? [joking] cause all the women who could dictate that sentence are all walking out of a room. Victoria: Oliver, we were doing some wedding discussions. Something you and your father need to have cause you need to figure out your uniform. Oliver: I mean...I was just going to wear- Victoria: You will have that conversation with your father Oliver. You can't play favorites with the uniform. Oliver: Yes Granny. Now if you'll excuse me...[excitedly] may I go say hello to Hortense. Victoria: Go on Oli.

Evie: Oi, [sarcastically] Your Royal Highness, we were in the middle of a conversation!

@empiredesimparte

[trashpandacraft]

when we last saw our hero (me, in this instance), they had just run out of photos on their sheep and wool post because apparently the accursed tumblr app has a ten-photo limit. fear not, though, because now i'm on my actual computer!

so: bendigo sheep and wool pt ii: the fibre!!

i bought a couple silk hankies, because i've never spun one before and it sounded fun, and they were cheap. couldn't find any undyed, alas, but surely someone on the internet does that, right?

i also bought some dyed mulberry silk. i've got some tussah that i'm going to dye, but these were pretty and relatively inexpensive, and i'm a sucker.

aaaaaand then i bought some sari silk, which i've never used before! several of you have been doing some gorgeous stuff with sari silk recently, though, and i'm a copycat, so here we are.

i have no idea why my phone decided that all of these needed to have ~depth~ added to the shots, but i'm not hauling all of this out again, so here we are. you get the vibe.

i also got a little coil of bamboo fibre, because i've never spun bamboo on its own before. (i don't know if i'll actually spin this on its own or if i'll blend it, but now i have the option!)

i also got a thing of optim fibre (incredibly poorly formatted post from 2011, but explanatory), which i've never used before—it's merino that's been processed to stretch it out, making it even finer and softer. it's sort of weird to touch—it feels more like silk or created fibres than it does wool, but it seemed like it would be fun to try.

moving on to even more exciting stuff, we bought some castledale top. castledale isn't a breed yet, but is being developed as one, and i've heard that it's a delight to spin.

obviously it was important that we get both the plain and the kind with silk in it.

and, see, that was important because we hadn't yet done the most exciting thing we did all weekend, which was finding some gorgeous, affordable, locally made hand combs!

if you're in australia and want fibre tools, you should absolutely check out their website, and honestly, even if you're not, the shipping might be worth it. they were so, so nice, and the tools we got there are just gorgeous. (they're less yellow than this, in person, but my phone doesn't play nicely with the purple light in my bedroom at eleven p.m.)

we ended up getting mini combs, because as we were talking, the guy who makes them noticed my heavily kt-taped wrist and pointed out that the mini combs are less wear on your wrists, which sold me.

they also had some wonderfully designed lazy kates, which will hopefully let me avoid ever having to do this again.

the cleverest part is that it flat packs—the bobbin holders just lift out, and the orifice (it has an orifice!!) is held in place by the little screw up front. the tension is controlled by turning the knob, just like on a spinning wheel.

can't say enough about what lovely people they were, and i'm so excited to have enough fine motor control that it feels safe to assemble the cards. this weekend, hopefully.

and you might be thinking 'ok but are you just like...using those for blending?' and the answer would be no!! because we also bought these!

i went in thinking 'oh, i'm going to get something that's not an incredibly fine wool,' but like...what was i thinking? we're in australia. the only thing anyone produces here is fine wools! which isn't at all a complaint, because this looks gorgeous. so we got 1.5 kilos of corrie, and 1.7 of a bond/merino cross. the cross in particular looks absolutely stunning, and i cannot wait to start playing with them.

the rather elderly (80-ish?) woman working at the north east yarns booth gave us a lengthy talk about spinning in the grease, which i might try. one of the really interesting things to me here was that i've only ever looked at raw fleeces in the northeastern us before now, where the weather concerns are...uh, somewhat different? these fleeces don't have the dirt that i've seen on raw fleece before, just dusty bits—they're almost more like what i would associate with alpaca with regards to actual dirt/vm, but with bonus lanolin. so that's a nice bonus, and makes the idea of spinning in the grease was less offputting. (yes, i know that you can buy cleaner fleeces in the united states, too, and you can coat your sheep or have dry weather or whatever, but that's not an experience that i personally have had.)

this concludes (mostly) the list of things i bought at sheep and wool (also i bought slippers), and illustrates both why i cannot be trusted and also incredible restraint on my part.

[catty-words]

i’m indian, and i also think that des was so necessary this season. i think there’s some cultural nuance that may go unnoticed for people who aren’t (which is totally not their fault!) but i definitely had pressure on me growing up to befriend and even date indian boys. i’m sure my parents’ reasoning was different than mine, but i honestly really appreciated having someone who Got It. my ex was indian and it was very validating to be with someone who understood the things i was going through and had experienced them with his parents.

there’s also something very specific in how indian moms treat their sons versus their daughters, and rhyah was (unfortunately) a very good representation of that. it's kind of a Thing in indian communities, the boys are such momma's boys and get completely coddled whereas the girls are kind of forced to grow up much quicker. the way my mom treated me and the way she treated my brother were very different. which then leads into my dad being the one to really understand me and ride for me, so looking at it for devi... makes losing mohan impossibly more devastating, as was addressed in season one. but i think the scene in 3x09, an indian mom standing up for her daughter, is huge. there's also the added layer of the community and how gossipy and judgey and nosy they are, and how what nalini did would've definitely gotten out to them. s1 nalini was worried about how she was being seen and talked about (ganesh puja) but s3 nalini cares far more about protecting her daughter and validating her experiences even if it may get her talked about. this also contributes quite beautifully to the finale, where devi wants more time with nalini and nalini doesn't want her to go. des may not have been necessary to reach that point, but his inclusion in the story does make it hit so much harder for me.

i'm so sorry this turned so long! and of course i'm aware my experiences aren't universal and other indian people may completely disagree but i just wanted to share my perspective :) i love your analyses so much, you are truly a gift to the nhie fandom :)

thank you for this ask, and for the compliments! i have Thoughts on all of this, and i’m so sorry in advance for how long this will inevitably be. but your perspective lights up my brain, making me wanna talk about devi/des and nalini and devi & nalini’s dynamic and the role community plays in their lives and i’m kissing you on the forehead.

let's start with devi/des because, as the show itself recognized, they make an exceptional springboard for the exploration of themes!!

i’m indian, and i also think that des was so necessary this season. i think there’s some cultural nuance that may go unnoticed for people who aren’t (which is totally not their fault!) but i definitely had pressure on me growing up to befriend and even date indian boys. i’m sure my parents’ reasoning was different than mine, but i honestly really appreciated having someone who Got It. my ex was indian and it was very validating to be with someone who understood the things i was going through and had experienced them with his parents.

(disclaimer: before we really get into it anything, i do not wish to invalidate your experience as an indian person watching this show, rather build upon it with my findings as an academic mr. abed, but definitely read my take with the grain of salt that i'm a whitey white person and - aside from a handful of novels over the past couple years - nhie is one of the few indian-made-about-indian-identity pieces of media i've consumed.)

here's my hot take: des himself actually offers devi very little in the way of deeper connection to her culture.

a prominent aspect of devi’s fractured identity, of course, is how americanized she is in comparison to the rest of her family. she eats meat and complains about having to wear saris and would rather vacation in aspen than india because it’s the playground of the rich and famous! she shows basically no interest in bridging this divide, either, because any and all participation in hindu culture only makes her feel further away from the picture of high school normality to which she aspires. this exchange from 1.04, for example, is especially relevant to our discussion:

so, it’s telling about the show’s intentions for the relationship that devi and des meet in an episode where devi’s forced to straddle her high school and her hindu identities, with her forced participation in navarathri getting in the way of her doing damage control on her post-paxton image, only to have des help more with the high school damage control than devi’s disinterest in her culture. his callout of her shallow understanding of her own community aside - you’re one of those indian girls who only likes white guys and thinks all indian dudes are computer geeks or cheesy club rats who wear too much cologne - des unwittingly pulls devi closer to that picture of high school normality she’s chasing by being the one to suggest they make paxton jealous. their chemistry overshadows any serious discussion of devi’s mild racism.

this is consistent with the show’s treatment of the relationship across the board, too. on the surface, by merit of being weirdly sort of a combo of [ben and paxton] if [they] were also indian, des is better suited to devi than her past boyfriends. in actuality, he reinforces the shallowness of the ideal devi’s been reaching for this whole time because, for devi, to be with him means to escape out from under herself.

that being said, it’s obviously very relevant to the plot and to devi’s emotional journey that des is indian come 3.09. i think it’s, once again, telling, though, that, after she gets to experience the high of dating a guy out in the open and with her mom’s approval, that feeling of normalcy is quashed under the nuances of participating in indian culture. namely, the special brand of misogyny you outlined so well:

there’s also something very specific in how indian moms treat their sons versus their daughters, and rhyah was (unfortunately) a very good representation of that. it's kind of a Thing in indian communities, the boys are such momma's boys and get completely coddled whereas the girls are kind of forced to grow up much quicker. the way my mom treated me and the way she treated my brother were very different. which then leads into my dad being the one to really understand me and ride for me, so looking at it for devi… makes losing mohan impossibly more devastating, as was addressed in season one.

there’s so much to be said about the show’s relationship to indian-specific misogyny, it probably deserves its own post, so for now i’ll just say this - the fact that something culture-specific drove devi and des apart highlights, in my opinion, the way des fails to provide devi a deeper connection to being indian.

now, let’s switch gears for a moment to talk about nalini. a prominent aspect of her characterization is that she’s secure in the way her culture shapes her identity but feels disconnected from that culture in such a way that brings about an inversion of devi’s own fractured identity. you mentioned ganesh puja, and that episode is the perfect example of the push and pull in nalini’s life where her culture is concerned. she doesn’t have any close friends within the sherman oaks community so showing up to puja means nonstop scrutiny with no refuge from rehashing her still-fresh loss, but it also means spiritual enrichment. for example,

there’s a reason this is a) one of the most emotionally-impactful closing shots of an episode and b) one of my personal favorite moments in the show, and the reason is that nalini’s whole world feels immediate and peaceful - her girls in the close space of the car with her, all of them touched by and processing pandit raj’s words. it represents everything nalini wants. namely, to feel the strong ties to her family facilitated by participation in her culture.

since nalini spends season one so insecure in her ability to rebuild any meaningful sense of family or community in the wake of mohan’s death and devi actively resists inclusion in the community for the way it makes her feel like a loser virgin, nalini and devi find themselves harshly at odds over the cultural divide. both 1.04 and 1.09 feature significant moments of tension - so disappointed in you and i wish you were the one that died that night, respectively. their needs and wants are too antithetical for them to ever find common ground.

then nirmala (my beloved) shows up and provides nalini some security. she both connects nalini and devi back to mohan, as well as makes nalini’s home in india feel closer without uprooting devi from hers. and - not to take away from what you said here -

des may not have been necessary to reach that point, but his inclusion in the story does make it hit so much harder for me.

- because, yes, devi having her first mom-approved boyfriend is a significant turning point in both devi’s journey and devi & nalini’s relationship and he would never have been nalini-approved if he weren’t indian, but !! the hugeness of nalini standing up for devi can and should be traced back primarily to women!!

specifically, the way the four generations of women coming together and fostering a deeper understanding of each other facilitates reflection on what parts of their culture actively harms them and on how participation in the culture could be molded to fit their lives instead of them trying to fit the mold as dictated to them by the culture. there are unreasonable expectations to navigate and harsh and impenetrable social structures in place, but there’s also a safety and comfort in having a community that prides itself on its ability to knit its members closer and closer together.

all that’s to say, i do think des provides something to the story by merit of being indian that no other pre-existing character could have and is, as you put it, necessary to the season. but it’s also essential to my understanding of the show’s themes that he’s not the one who bridges the cultural disconnect in devi’s identity. instead, nalini, nirmala, kamala, and - most important of all - devi herself will be responsible for defining what, exactly, being indian means to her.

[dragongirldg]

Hellooo there how are you

anyways if you want you can use this post to infodump on whatever you want

Info dumping huh? Well then.

I have been the biggest fan of this one ship for as long as I remember. Back in high school, I developed an interest in Homestuck. I obsessed over John Egbert specifically.

As I read fanfiction and looked at fanart, no ship sparked. I didn’t really care. I would read and yeah it’s cute and blah blah blah not my OTP.

Then the worst thing could have happened.

I looked at a crack ship and then I was fxcked. The more I thought about it, the more I loved it. Karkat who? Dave who? Dirk who? Sollex and Eridan who? Literally everyone that’s a common ship WHO?

It didn’t stick with me.

Want to know what stuck?

Caliborn.

I had this idea of Calliope getting to John first and then breaking up for one reason or another.

Then Caliborn and John date or live together for other reasons.

Calliope doesn’t really come into the equation anymore or show up in my daydreams.

I don’t why, but I thought it was adorable if John just got bothered by Caliborn at every turn. They’d bother and fight and just it was cute how much they antagonized.

Then I started developing my trans Headcanon and June eventually makes her first appearance without her being June. It’s only recently (late 2022? - 2023) that I heard the name June and went from there.

I would draw and write fanfiction after fanfiction adding and subtracting details.

June stays 8ft tall and Caliborn is slightly shorter by a few feet or inches.

Caliborn gets rid of the half shaved hair look for short curly hair.

I couldn’t stop doodling John all over my school work to the point my science teacher recognized him when I gave her a little quiz. She had a bearded dragon in the classroom and I loved holding them during class :3

(Don’t ask about the things I did in highschool)

I had a ton of ideas and a lot of them were problematic tbh so I’m still curving them out of my head for far better ideas.

No matter what fandom I became a part of John/ June x Caliborn never left me. I didn’t want to really read fics anymore since no one writes my ship.

Does anyone actually do pixies and Crocker and Harley and Egbert family dynamics? Do they ever have them interacting like a big extended family?

If I had the urge, I’d write my AU ideas more. (I’m kinda stuck at the moment, work burns me out to much and too often that I don’t have motivation to get through the one? Shot I have)

I am going to attempt to redraw this political romance fancomic I drew a long time ago to update it with my newest version of John/ June. That means she will be June. If I could find the notebooks I had.

With my inability to write I’m stuck with lackluster chapters and get nothing done. I need some form of energy boost for my creativity. It’s at an all time low at the moment, being used for other fandoms.

Like this Transformers AU that got me in a chokehold.

Optimom AU (I have a whole blog on it if you want to send asks and stuff)

Optimus becomes the mother of Soundwave, Sari, and Bumblebee. The seeker teens think of Optimus as their mother and there are like 9 of them. Not to mention the others that kind of sees Optimus as a mother figure.

Basically Found Family Trope :3

It’s more complicated than that and I have several fanfics and fanart (which is now found in the Blog)

The messy Age thing with Sari, it’s because I plan of having her die at some point (trauma) and I can’t in good conscience do that to a 3-5 year old (it’s by electrocution).

Yeah it’s messed up, but the world of Transformers is equally if not more messed up and morally grey :3

At least Ariel (Black Arachnia) and Sari get to become extensions of Unicron and Primus!

Sentinel redemption and Ultra Magnus retiring to become Optimus’ father.

There’s a lot to the AU I’m not going in to in this post but yeah!!! That’s it!!!

Honestly I could go on, but then the post will never end.

[littlesmokesceenfan]

In TFA Season 1 Finale, Optimus gets angry and takes Sari’s Allspark Key away... We’re supposed to be on Sari’s side and think that Optimus is being a BIG total jerk... But honestly what Optimus did was smart, because the Evil Decepticons are on Earth (and unlike the Autobots, the Key won’t heal her, if the Cons destroy her)... Also I like Sari, but she's a brat sometimes, especially with the Key... Half of Season 1′s problems happened cause she overused it or doesn’t know how to control it! 🔑

TFA seen to do this a lot make one character seen like a giant jerk despite the fact they have every reason to do the thing they did

For example I actually didn't get angry at Sentinel when he want to kick Bullhead out of the academy and him assuming that Bulkhead was the one to knock over the building does make sense since who else would be strong enough in the boot camp to do such a action . Bulkhead literally knock over a whole building that could of easily hurt a bunch of bystanders or even the people inside of that building yet apparently the show seen to disagree with me and let Bumblebee be kick out instead.

I

[satocidal]

You might be surprised but I also get the looking mean often. I think the biggest difference is that my culture doesn't entertain being fake nice as much as others (as someone who interacted with the brits, they're the epitome of it, I'm sorry)

Honestly, asian cultures oftenly get mingled when provided by people who didn't interact with said culture so all I know about India is basically the sari (I think that's how it's named? The colorful dresses are so pretty and the jewelry, omo) and most people practicing Hinduism or Buddhism (I'm still not sure of the difference, if any, between them? I know also there's a river in India that's like sacred and I know the cow is also quite a sacred animal?)

I think (again, not sure) Buddha's from there.

Honestly, when I think of India, as many not so cultured ppl, I do think of the Taj Mahal, elephants, River Ganje (?), Buddha and the many arms statue T-T

I also think of curry and spices (y'all got some delicious curry. And I say this bcs I actually ate indian food made by the right ppl lol)

I'm curious about traditions such as weddings, funerals and general holidays mostly

For example, my country (Romania) is Christian (ortodox) but got such a rich history and traditions that many of the traditions we have are quite more pagan than actually Christian (we were a pagan country a long ass time ago, after all)

So yeah, I'd say I'm a basic white girl (tho eastern europeans aren't exactly…well, basic in the european white history 😅 but not exactly the point. Tho we are not like brits and americans, that's for sure)

~🦊

Your perception is so cute😭 but yes I assumed you might’ve gotten that comment lmao- like I just knew lolol

So, let me say that our traditional cloths does include saris and kurtas- but like as we get urbanised, people are lesssening the usage of them. Like mainly grandma’s (or like 35+) women wear it on a usual and even they, to keep it comfortable prefer kurtas as daily attire. Most of us though, like we just go with basic causal wear. So they’ve become more of a traditional-only-when-events-are-around type of a deal for most of us

And like there’s so much more than saris, there are lehengas and anarkalis and ghagharas and shararas- like a lot of beautiful stuff frfor. And there’s different sort of method of embroidery too

Hinduism is very different yet similar to it, both focus on attainment of nirvana but where Hinduism is very life-concerned, like focusing on the present—Buddhism, at its core works for giving up worldly pleasures (Hinduism, like ancient one at least, divided human life into 4 age ranges—the last which began at like 65+? Or 50? That range focused on the same stuff as Buddhism) and then Buddhism is a little stricter and not discussed on idol worship where in Hinduism is core worshipping

Elephants 💀? Not tigers? They are our national animal lmao- the Bengal white tiger<3 but well, that’s how india is portrayed usually so I don’t blame you. There are many more beautiful things than the Taj btw and the Ganga is very holy to us- belief leads to say that your sins get washed with every dip in her (I’m an agnostic so idk but we’re very respectful to the religions usually- even the atheists I’ve met, they also act good towards Hinduism)

If you read our mythology and scripts the many arms will make sense lmao but this ask is getting long so I won’t get into it rn lmao-and we have a plenty of festivals. Like a lot.

Also like apologies but tell me about Christianity here (I’m not a fan at all of conservative Christian’s and all) and I’ve like mostly onky judged Christian’s so yes💀

[logicheartsoul]

hi! for the ask game:🎈🍭💞

Hi, Sary!!! I answered a few of these earlier, I hope that’s ok

🎈describe your style as a writer; is it fixed? does it change? It’s definitely changed for sure, I used to write in a different tense than I do now, but honestly, there are some things I think have stayed the same and others I’m trying to still figure out and explore. Rhythm, word economy, the way things sound and flow (either via sentence structure and variety or just word choices), still important. But every time I think I have a grasp on my style, things change and suddenly??? So who knows what that will be like now

🍭 why did you start writing? I answered it here and the answer is a bit lengthy lol

💞 what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language I answered that here and it is also kinda a lengthy answer lol

[send fic writer asks]

[wayfinderlegacy]

For the oc(s) of your choice ~ 💐 : What is their courting style? How would they woo someone? 👀 : Does your OC believe they are attractive? Do they use that to their advantage?

Gonna do both of these with the four I hyperfocus on. :'D

COURTING!

Saris tends to show he loves someone with little affectionate gestures. Making favorite foods as a surprise. Giving little gifts and trinkets he's likely spent hours or days thinking about. Sometimes uses flirts or affectionate words for trying to woo people. This went well with Arcann, but back when he was dating Cytharat he was awkward as hell and pretty Niar wanted to beat him with a stick for having to watch that. Overall, he just softens up heavily around people he loves and all the prickly edges just fade away.

Nesha... was a trainwreck at flirting at first. I mean, her first love was another Jedi and her second love was a Sith Lord. (Lana should be happy Luca taught her a thing or two, could have been WAAAY worse!) Nesha tends towards actions rather than words however. A soft touch, a chaste (or more than so) kiss. Closeness and tenderness tends to be her method of courting someone. HOWEVER being with Lana for five years searching for Saris while he was in carbonite definitely made her less awkward and a touch more forward, much to everyone's surprise!

...Sirul doesn't know how he got Theron. Theron doesn't know how he got Sirul. The one that started this mess (me) knows that Theron found Sirul oddly charming if not strangely innocent for a Sith, and Sirul thought Theron was pretty cool with an endearing awkwardness. Neither one is great at flirting and honestly? With them it works.

Sorrel's been pining after the same guy for years and only managed to actually get that relationship because he could finally feel again (Scourge. Its Scourge. NO ONE is surprised!). Sorrel's wooing method, however, is very particular because of that. He tends towards things that Scourge may have missed while incapable of feeling. Favorite foods, certain sounds, touches. He takes Scourge places where he can help him remember the little things, and if neither are up for it, its just a quiet night in, slowly getting used to and learning things.

ATTRACTIVENESS!

Saris KNOWS he's pretty and does try to use that sometimes. Problem is, while he's very pretty, his personality can leave things to be desired. Either coming off as prickly or vain depending on mood and person he's talking to. ...Given that 90% of his actions are made out of spite, this should surprise absolutely no one. :')

Nesha doesn't really think she's pretty or ugly, and definitely doesn't use looks in any way. Many do think she has a calm and elegant look to her, however, if not outright attractive. With that alone, better at accidentally using it than Saris who does on purpose.

(Uhhh... note for my Sith Pureblood headcanons here that lean into hints of racism possibly more than hints). Pureblood Sith in my writings tend to be more attracted to those that look more Sith-y than not qhen going purely on looks. Thus, Sirul is VERY attractive and desireable appearance-wise to others of his kind. Sirul himself, on the other hand, doesn't really think of himself as attractive or desirable given his fear of them due to his Light-alligned nature. He doesn't try to flaunt things at all, preferring to lay low. Talking to a certain SIS agent he met in a bar on Rishi who lightly flirted with him happened to be a sort of "leap of faith" moment.

Sorrel falls into the same category as Nesha, but others don't really seem to comment on his appearance much other than being Chiss. His wingwoman and wingman (Kira and Zalea), ABSOLUTELY will put forth their best efforts to sell him as such though, much to the poor Jedi's dismay.

[elfdragon12]

Honestly, imagine if Sentinel actually grew after Optimus’ ‘death’ and getting expelled.

He might have chased a memory, filled with grief and anger of losing his best friend, but he was forced to change his environment and it resulted… into a good thing. Reflected back, he actually smiles fondly of the memory of his best friend and became EXTREMELY protected in preserving his best friend’s memory. Optimus became a role model to him and tries to follow his example now. He still has his flaws, can get back into being a jerk but when called out and realizes it, he becomes remorseful and apologetic and tries to be better.

Though, he still blames Elita for everything and thinks of her a coward but it’s more so because he thinks he could have saved his best friend. That he truly wishes he was here.

He’s in for a surprise though when he faces Megatron and his crew at some point.

Okay, so what a twist this would be though. After all, in the canon, Blackarachnia's character arc ends with Sentinel and Optimus having a moment after her "final" loss (TFA does not handle any female character well, including Sari's weird age-up thing)... And then it's right back to Sentinel being the most unrepentant dick and trying to continue screwing with Optimus in the "Trial of Megatron" three part audio reading.

Sentinel developing as a person, even if he sometimes still get his head stuck up his own tailpipe, would be excellent though!

I imagine that Sentinel would still have a hard time believing that this was his friend Optimus.