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glutengoblin · 2 months ago

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The Tortured Poets Department (Sebastian Sallow x Reader, Incomplete Draft)

Word Count: ~ 1.2k

A/N: LISTEN... has anyone tagged me in that one post that's like "post a snippet of what you've been working on"... well no. (Please do if you want... I got more drafts lol)

But I'm doing that anyway because my writer's block has been insane! I've really been struggling with the fear that everything I write just sucks. It probably does... but also fanfic writing is supposed fun. So I'm just going to post this snippet in my effort to get over my fear of people seeing how terrible my writing is. Because I want to reclaim this as what it should be: Fun.

Anyway... let me know if I should actually continue this. Maybe some an encourage will make me lol.

She hated when he did this.

Through she had a habit of romping through the highlands of Scotland at night during her school days, London on a rainy midnight was a totally different animal.

Looking down at her watch, she willed the tube to move faster. She had told Sebastian she would by there in 15 minutes. It had already been 13 and she still had 2 stops to go.

Her eyes traveled up from her watch and met the gaze of the slimmy stranger who glanced her form up and down. Muttering a few minor curses under her breath, she shot him a threatening look. The man soon looked away -she prided herself on being able to look astutely threatening on short notice.

Finally, her stop arrives and she escaped the underground maze that was the tube.

The rain certainly didn't help her cause as she took of running towards Sebastian's flat, barely making it in time. Glancing around to ensure no one was looking, she used her wand to flick a stone against his window. It took a couple more attempts before his weary form appeared in the window. Opening as one more stone flew up, Sebastian let out a small yelp.

“I get it, you're here. No need to injure a man while he's already down.” He shut the window in his typical uncareful way, and eventually made his way down to u lock the door.

As they entered, she took note that his flat was in a worse state than usual. Sebastian wasn't an overall organized person, but the disarray was bad, even for him. Papers were strewn about the living room, books up to random pages. His candles were almost entirely burnt out, on the last inch of their wick. Even Sebastian cat, Tim, had a disapproving look on his face.

Y/N sighed as she surveyed the damage, eventually bending down to give Tim a good scratch behind the ears.

“Sebastian… why didn't you tell me sooner this time?” He let out a sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he considered how to state it.

“Well, you were out on an assignment, and I didn't want to concern you with it. You know it always gets worse at this time of year.”

The time of year he was referring to was mid-fall. That was when Anne had passed away, around 2 years ago at this point.

After everything that had occured with the tragic event that was Solomon's death, Anne had not spoken to Sebastian for over two years. It tore him up inside- the guilt of killing his uncle and losing the one relative he really cared about had sent him into a spiral. Some days Y/N and Ominis had to take shifts checking on him, bringing food to his room. Other days, he seemed like a perfectly normal Sebastian, full of the charm and easy-nature he was known for.

Though Y/N had been in love with him since 5th year, she realized how truly devoted she was to him during that time. Anyone else would have probably turned away from him, given the events were technically his fault. However, Y/N never could. She saw a scared young boy, who was simply trying to defend himself and his friend.

Eventually, Anne had come to that realization soon had made up with him, shortly after his graduation from Hogwarts. Anne even knocked some sense into him, and convinced him to finally ask (Y/N). Of course she said yes.

However, as soon as he had gotten Anne back, she left him behind again- this time, permanently. The curse was simply too strong. The loss devastated Sebastian, and now he was prone to periodic breakdowns, where the depression would overwhelm him and it would simply become too much.

Y/N had grown accustomed to this routine. Although she was never happy to see Sebastian in such a state, she was always happy to try and help him. However, the frequency of these breakdowns had increased, which worried Y/N - she knew they greatly affected his life and was increasingly worried about his job as an auror. It wasn’t exactly a non-stressful career, and she was concerned with him losing his focus at the worst possible moment.

Pushing her fears aside, she looked up to see that Sebastian had retreated to his bedroom. She followed him, leaning against his doorframe to study his form.

He had sat down at his desk at that point, fiddling with his typewriter, clearly trying to finish the report that was due at the Auror office by Monday. Though typically only quill and parchment worked in wizarding houses, one inventor had recently figured out how to make the muggle technology of a type writer work despite the presence of magic; the innovation had made their jobs significantly faster.

Sebastian crumpled up a piece of paper and threw it against a window. He placed his head in his hands, letting out a frustrated groan. Approaching him cautiously, Y/N began to rub small circles into his back, chiding him to look up at her.

“You know you can always talk to me, right? I’ll always make time for you.” Sebastian looked up to meet her warm eyes, filled with affection. He never quite understood why she stayed with him- she simply was too good for him.

“I love you Y/N.” He stated matter-a-factly, given to him it was a fact. He had loved her deeply since 5th year, but had been too much of a coward to admit it to myself. He cursed himself everyday for waiting so long.

Eventually he stood from the chair, running his hand along her arm. Pulling her smaller frame into his. Her warmth enveloped him in a way that made the crushing weight of his feelings feel less heavy for a moment, a moment he desperately wanted to chase. Thus, he eventually placed a hand under her chin, tilting her gaze up to meet his, before crashing his lips against her’s. Y/N complied, eager to feel the butterflies she felt from his physical affection. Recently, there hadn’t been as much of it to go around.

Sebastian smiled into the kiss, before testing the waters and playing the tip of his tongue against her lips. They opened eagerly, allowing him entrance. As their kiss deepened, Sebastian began to steer them towards the bed, pausing only brush the books that covered it to the floor. Y/N laughed softly, as her knees hit the bed frame, causing her to fall backwards. It wasn’t long before Sebastian was on top of her, pressing her into the mattress and offering eager kisses against her neck. His hands traveled over her frame, repeating his normal ritual of committing her every curve to memory.

Sebastian hated the fact that it had taken them so long to reach this point in their relationship, simply being able to touch him how he wanted. Sometimes, he dared to think it was his fault. But in the dim light that the flooded the room, when she laid there below him, hair spread out like a crown beneath her... he simply couldn't bring himself to think of such depressing thoughts.

#sebastian sallow x reader #hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x you #sebastian sallow fanfiction #sebastian sallow x reader fluff #sebastian sallow angst #sebastian sallow x y/n

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abs-blabs · 1 month ago

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This is in no way shape or form an unbiased review. I have loved Joe Keery for MANY years, even before I listened to his music. Ok that’s it :p

The Crux - Djo

1.) Lonesome Is A State Of Mind: 10/10 suchhhh a strong start to the album, I loveeee !! A very much deja vu feel about the lyrics, I also loved how it picked up when we were about to hit the middle of the song

2.) Basic Being Basic: 8/10 loved it on the first listen, a good choice for a first single. I love silly ad libs in the background

3.) Link: 9.5/10 very 80s vibes with this one. Joe’s vocals??? I ascended. The little whisper/raspy parts gave a bit of Billy Idol

4.) Potion: 8/10 the most recent of the singles. I do enjoy this one, it’s a bit slower and has a lot of meaning behind it. Love the guitar in this one !

5.) Delete Ya: 7.5/10 the last of the singles. I like this one, especially the funky switch in pitch of his voice. It’s also very catchy and gets stuck in my head :p

6.) Egg: 8.5/10 idk if it’s a keyboard or a synth in this one but I LOVE IT!! (I’m not musically inclined sorry guys) the tempo increase was insaneeee “but deep down inside, there’s always that fear, that I’m not enough, I seem cavalier” HELLO????

7.) Fly: 8/10 this is like the epitome of both nostalgia and moving on, all wrapped up in one song.

8.) Charlie’s Garden: 8.5/10 this one is soooo fun. This should be in a movie, it has the beginning of a movie upbeat vibe. I was literally dancing throughout this whole listen

9.) Gap Tooth Smile: 9/10 if you like this song you’ll love the band Sun Room, that was my immediate thought while listening to this. So lovey and sweet, loved it

10.) Golden Line: 7.75/10 love the harmonies and piano in this one, love a piano heavy song. This one is also very sweet, but no where near as dancey as the last one

11.) Back On You: 9.5/10 FLAWLESS segue into this song from the last. THE CHOIR??? THE DRUMS??? I love love love this, a song about his family? Specifically his sisters? Very important to me because I’m very close with my siblings. Also very funky 🙂‍↕️

12.) The Crux: 8/10 very much enjoy how the piano is incorporated into this one as well. I can tell why he picked this to be (the closest to) the title track.

I also want to emphasize that this is my first listen through, so opinions are bound to change! But that’s my review for my first listen through, I was literally simultaneously writing these out, listening, and dancing

@yawping-poets-society @froginthestars feel free to pm me if you want to talk about songs and what not !!🫶

#djo #djo the crux #djotime #joe keery #the crux album review

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eva-does-their-best · 5 months ago

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Transition (Part 3) The boy that never was

It is no secret cast to the bottom of the sea that a lot of trans people feel like they always were what they are now. Women saying that they were always women, men saying they were always men, etc.

Well, I do follow that pattern a bit, in a less orthodox way, cause I firmly believe that before I realized I was trans I was agender, just like I am now.

My gender is deeply intertwined with my disability, as my disability has shaped my life into something few people can recognize.

Developing an eating disorder at age 3 did not just mean constant sickness (36 hospitalizations as of today), it also meant social isolation. After all a kid will feel bad and ashamed for having to explain other kids and their parents why they are not eating.

I also developed very slowly, took me long to stop using my pacifyer, to learn how to write which I still struggle with today, the other kids changed faster and left me behind.

My mother works and has always worked 12+ hours a day and my father... better to not talk about him. So from age 4 I was left alone, I was a good kid, never caused trouble, they had no problem leaving me alone at home for most of the day while they were away.

My whole life was tv and videogames, some books and toys and my dog Chuki. I developed a mortifying fear of being outside, I did not want people to see me, to judge me, I was very vigilant. So I isolated at home for more than a decade.

A kid who has no social contact for the most part, and who just cares about videogames and tv shows and their own imagination, why would I have needed gender? "I cannot die because then I would miss the next pokemon game" is a phrase that summarizes it pretty well, I was just existing.

But it was painfully obvious, leaving the discussion just at "I didn't care" would be disingenuous. The truth is I was not allowed to be a boy.

Frail, weak, slow, gentle. I soon found myself not playing with the other boys. I tried, I tried playing football with them, I tried playing basketball with them, I tried. But I wasn't good enough, I wasn't strong, I didn't have their intensity I just wanted to have fun, and so I always ended up forcefully expelled, insulted, and physically attacked.

It was not just kids, adults too did treat me like that.

In the first years of high-school I was alone, my most dreaded time was the two breaks we had every day, where I just stood on a corner and ate my lunch. People laughed at me for it, I wished to not have to go through it again, but it was there every day.

Girls no longer took pity of me, they joined the mocking, except they did it more loudly and publically than the boys. So depression, dissociation, they took a hold of me, marginalization, isolation, and health issues such as anemia joined in too, and all of them together kept me genderless until I became trans.

As a child and as a teenager I just kept failing everyone's expectations, they still called me and treated me like a boy but just because in their mind there was no alternative, it was clear that I was something else in their eyes. A frail and inteligent child, like the classical image of a poet or an intelectual, that is what they held onto.

But my cousins, my sisters, my uncles and aunts, even my parents kept reminding me of how useless I was, how weak I was. "Oh you're scared of this? Are you not a man?" "You don't even know how to fix this? What a man" "You don't work, you're so lazy, pf, the men of this family are all useless".

Not hard to see why I despise radfems, after all this is the treatment they would give to a child, and let me tell you, it hurts for an entire life.

I was able to stop thinking about this, about boyhood and manhood, as soon as I became aware of being trans. After all now I had an excuse to discard them, an excuse to fail at them (I had not yet realized my life was that of a disabled person, in my mind I was just weird).

That trans woman that called me masculine, I think about it sometimes. I mean new clothes are expensive and I wasn't feeling ok, it wasn't on purpose. But some months later I found myself thinking more and more of my image and expression, something I never even dared to think about before.

As a boy everyone was fine with me wearing whatever. Now I felt the preassure but also the want to dress better, coherently, with thought. And what I found was masculinity, my ideal image, I wanted to be more butch.

That actually made me feel good, I felt complete, there was a masculinity that didn't make me feel bad.

Then watching women both cis and trans having beards on purpose made me feel even better, because that was a new form of femininity that felt really honest, really beautiful, took a bit to get used to it but I loved it, even though having a beard is painful to me due to my frail skin and I should permanently remove it for my own sake. But still, I owe people like dabwax or that one mathematics girl whose name always escapes me a lot in this journey, a lot in my worldview.

And I thought that was it, I thought that was the end of my history with masculinity, but then all this gender fuckery happened and I realized one thing.

'If I become girl enough, if I become comfortable enough with my girlhood, I may be able to be a boy".

And I talked about it with a good friend of mine and she felt similarily and I felt validated by that. So I added boy to my genders even though it was more like a future gender.

But then I thought: "But I don't actually like boyhood or manhood, I don't like their meaning and form for me". Well, I did still enjoy my masculinity but there is no denying some of these traits I just didn't like, they made me feel bad, I wanted them removed.

So then what did boy mean? If it had nothing to do with that, was it just me being quirky? was it just me being bored or just wanting new things for stimulation?

Then it dawned on me. Boy had nothing to do with boyhood, with manhood or with masculinity. Boy is reclaiming what they always kept from me, what they took from me.

Boy is me, vulnerable, scarred, traumatized, letting myself weep, letting myself be weak, letting myself be a hurt child once more, in the arms of someone I can finally trust. Boy is something I feel, rather than something I express.

It is human connection, it is platonic, romantical, even sexual at times. It is just me feeling the pain of the past in a hypothetical future in which everything is ok, and I am safe, and I am allowed to hurt in front of mutual love of some kind. Unraveling myself and all that I am and was to the eyes of someone whose heart is with me.

That is what boy meant for me, what it means for me now, the reason I declare myself bigender, the reason I declare myself agender, the reason I maintain that I have never been a boy, that my agab means nothing and I don't want it mentioned, that I am a trans girl but also a trans boy.

This is my genders.

#the rat writes

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eolewyn1010 · 9 months ago

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Amateur sewing - The Goddamn Pirate Poet Shirt

So. I made a thing.

A vaguely late-18th / early-19th century-style shirt. And I'm saying vaguely because, while this has about the right look, I took a few liberties in construction.

First of all: I wanted ruffles. None of the tutorials I used added ruffles because, frankly, that's a whole lot of hemming work for not that much length of fabric, but I wanted the frill. Behold. Also visible in this picture: The dropped shoulders, which are in fact according to the historical references.

The collar from its better side. The other side, I had to extend with a little placket as this shirt has two modes: slutty pirate (open cleavage) and 18th c decency (closed with a cravat), and for the latter option I wanted to be able to shut it with buttons. For which I apparently took the wrong measure from my neck. Problem-solving!

The front placket isn't the prettiest thing in the world, but the closed collar is meant to be covered by the cravat anyway. And check out my darling nacre buttons! I love them so much that I used two on every cuff despite that not being strictly necessary. Probably would have gotten away with one on each side. But. Look. Shiny.

Altogether, I think I used up, like, 70 meters of linen thread? Which is not super economical, but 1st, I backstitched really everything, except when I was felling over the (already backstitched) hems. 2nd, there were the underarm gussets, and wherever a reinforcement patch / strip could go on, I put one in, such as both sides of the collar, the slits to both leg sides, the shoulders and cuffs. And 3rd, there were my neat lil' additional bits such as the long, long ruffles, the tie I added into the cleavage, and the cravat.

I learned that linen thread is a bit tricky; it's very strong, but it's not super even, and it knots easily. It also cannot be used in a machine, but I did this entire thing by hand anyway, so that didn't bother me all that much. Not because I'm a stickler for historical practice, but because sewing machines are scary. I may have to tackle this fear for the sake of my fingertips.

I need to work on my estimation of seam allowance, because I had to clean up the edges on the inside of my shoulder/sleeve seam with twill tape, because I hadn't left enough seam allowance to hem over all that scrunchy, ruffly bit. Twill tape is probably not historical practice for such a shirt; I think this only became a thing after Spinning Jenny was invented, but it served me well. I also need to work on my sewing vocabulary, because I learned most of it online - and thus, English, confusing the hell out of my friend when I didn't understand my mother tongue's term for "seam allowance" because I had literally never heard it XD

Fun fact: I bought the linen for this literally years ago (a bed-set, because it's a lot of yardage for a relatively cheap price; I still have lots leftover). But only now did I sit down and make a shirt out of it, and I love it. The sleeves are so poofy! And all that seaming was worth it; the shirt already had a round in the washing machine, and it's perfectly intact. I think I did a good job!

The cravat is, aside from the twill tape inside and the buttons, the only thing that's not 100% linen, because my mom crocheted the lace trim for me from cotton yarn. My draft is not quite how a historical cravat from the 18th / 19th century turn would look, but I honestly don't care; the combination makes the shirt so goddamn fabulous! I love this; it was super worth the work. Time to get on a snazzy waistcoat to go with this <.<

#sewing #needlework #the goddamn pirate poet shirt #amateur making a piece of clothing #also behold probably the last pictures of my long hair before I get it chopped off XD

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thatfriendlyanon · 7 days ago

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9, 13, & 24 <3

9. Nighttime Routine

song: a burning hill // mitski

ugh this one was kinda just an excuse to have Something Written for this day. it's kind of about the negative consequences of repeatedly repressing certain emotions/thoughts/fears, it's kind of about getting triggered, and it's kind of about yarn sdSDLKGJSLKjkldjdsljk

before bed, I walk back through the hallways of myself so I can gather it back up, draw it in, wrap it around itself until it is small again.

13. my love

song: neptune // sleeping at last

mmmm this one was helpful for exploring some things i've been processing, though the result doesn't feel like a very good poem yet on its own. i'm not sure what it's missing/what it needs, maybe more cohesive concrete imagery to ground it? idk. but i had fun playing with the double-meaning of "my love," as both a pet name to a person and a descriptor of the love held for that person. oh yeah also the whole thing is funky with white space bc that's fun too.

24. How Do I Change the Genre of Our Love Story?

song: blood upon the snow // hozier, ft. bear mccreary

okay! this poem!! is actually one of the few that i DO kind of like from this month??? aside from the fact that i also don't fully know what it's saying LOL (are you noticing a theme; i think that's something that's annoyed me most out of this year's napo xD). it was originally inspired by this post, and the feeling of watching a relationship you're in slowly collapse while you try to find a way to save it. i still don't fully know what the weird passover/blood imagery is doing though. sdlkjsdlgjsldj (<- the realities of being a poet: [looks at what i just wrote] "uh. What Is This" SDKLJSDG)

returned from the slaughter. In Egypt, the children of Israel coated their door-frames so the angel of death would pass by––escaping tragedy through the doorway of love.

give me a number 1-30 or a title & i’ll talk about that poem!

#thanks grace!! <3 #elle answers asks #napowrimo #inbox still open if anyone wants to ask anything else :]#it's been a fun way to reflect on my own work from this month. it's interesting to identify some of the ways i feel like a poem is or isn't #working...

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somethingclevermahogony · 10 months ago

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Happy STS! Your characters have been invited to a formal dinner. How do they do?

Happy STS!

So this really is depends on whether this would mean a formal dinner by our standards or a formal dinner by Kishite standards (a noble banquet). Just for fun I'll answer for both.

Before going through each of the characters I should probably illustrate what a banquet would look like. I'm turning this little STS into a big worldbuilding post, sorry.

A Kishite Banquet

Most royal banquets take place either in special rooms within the palatial structure called the dalushkiwash or more simply dalukshi (Kishite Dal-Room/Space, Ushki- v. To Eat, Ushkiwash- participle. Eating) or in courtyards, dependent on the size of the banquet, the weather, and the construction of that particular palace.

Communication at a Kishite banquet is highly reliant on various hand signals and social cues.

Getting Ready

Before going to a banquet you would be expected to prepare yourself. Most often this would mean bathing, or at the very least applying plenty of perfume and scented oil to the body and hair to prevent any adverse smells. It is crucial that you be checked for lice or fleas. Nothing ruins a nice meal quite as much as a parasite. Additionally, see to it that you do not drink before your banquet, as it is considered uncouth, unless of course you were doing it with or with the express encouragement of the host/ruler. Your nails must be trimmed and your hair brushed. Such banquets are also the best time to display your best jewelry and clothing. Gold, silver, amber, and silk are all expected guests. Properly preparing for a banquet may take hours, you may even eat a meal during the process of getting ready.

After you have been cleaned up and are dressed your best, you will be welcomed into the dalukshi by either the head of the household, that typically being the monarch, or more often the nobleman in charge of banquets, the so-called Chief of Feasts or else the Chief of Beverages, who bears the responsibility of keeping track of the palatial stores of beer and wine. They will see to it that you meet their expectations. You will be checked for offensive odors, and more importantly for any unsanctioned weapons or other materials. If you are found to be all in order, you will be welcomed in.

The Setting

The room itself is likely one of the largest in the palatial complex. They are typically round, though they may come in several other shapes. In general however, dalukshi are not square and rectangular, as these shapes are considered inappropriate for spaces meant for dining, and are rather reserved for the throne room. At the center of the hall one will typically find a large hearth, mirroring the shape of the room. Here things like soups, stews, warmed wine, and certain roast meats, will be cooked and kept warm for the benefit of the dinners, while other dishes will be brought from the kitchens. Across from this hearth, along with a small station meant for those tending to the fire, you will typically also find a small stone stage or step where poets, dancers, performers, and/or musicians are tasked with entertaining the diners. As the night goes on and alcohol flows it is not unusual for the attendees to take to this stage, to play games and give performances of their own.

Along with the diners and performers, expect to see slaves and servants weaving among the tables, bringing new dishes, cleaning messes, or else attending to the various needs of the guests. You will typically also see a number of dogs, but fear not, these are not mere street mongrels. These are workers, well cared for and clean, in Kishetal these are often the palace's resident hunting dogs, kalupabun (Kishite Kalu-Dog, Pabakazi- v. To Hunt). It is their job to clean up scraps which may be dropped accidentally or intentionally.

Decorations will vary. Expect to see potted plants, statues, decorative ponds, exotic birds, fountains, and other objects.

The Table

You will be guided to a seat, Kishite seats are typically low benches, often padded with furs and silks. Unlike their neighbors in Shabala they do not sit on cushions, nor do they use couches to recline as is popular in Apuna and Korithia. As with the room itself, as a rule tables at these events are never rectangular, rather they are more often round or hexagonal. The monarch and his closest family or friends will share a table, while others will be seated at tables of variable distance from the ruler, according to the discretion of the host. At your table you will find waiting for you a bowl filled with water or even watered white wine, scented with various herbs and flowers, this is meant to clean your fingers between courses. You will also find a cloth/napkin, or you may bring your own. You will find three bowls, one of wood , one of ceramic, and one of some sort of metal or stone (this is except for Chibal, where instead you will find a golden ladle, you are expected to drink using this). The wooden bowl is meant to hold cold foods, such as olives and fruit, while the ceramic is meant for holding soups and stews. The stone/metal bowl is your drinking bowl, meant typically for wine and beer. Underneath these you will find a large flat disk, typically of polished stone, this is your plate. What you will not find is utensils. It is expected that all items will be server in bite sized pieces, as such knives are not necessary. For liquid dishes, it is expected that you will bring your own spoon. The quality and material from which that spoon is made is often a sign of class and refinement, as significant as any necklace or ring.

On the floor next to you, just out of the reach of the dogs you will find a large clay pot called a jalhuka (Kishite Jal- Great/Big/King, Huka- Pot, Container). It is here that you will empty any scraps or trash which the dogs cannot eat as well as where you will pour your hand cleaning water between courses. These bowls will be replenished by slaves.

The Meal

After it has been determined that enough guests have arrived, the banquet will start. Typically this will start with the service of a plain beer, ashikur. Rather than being served to each guest individually, this will typically be served in a large shallow bowl, with each guest receiving a bronze straw. This beer is typically served warm and unstrained, thus necessitating the straws. According to Kishite etiquette it is considered rude to drink from the bowl alone. As such before each drink it is considered customary to announce that you intend to drink, this is done by raising the hand (as if asking a question). You wait until the gesture is returned by one or more other guests at your table, and then you may drink. Oddly, while the Kishites are normally extremely wary of any possible saliva contamination that may come from sharing food, they do not see any issue in this practice. The practice itself is a remnant from their Shabalic roots.

This first "course" ends when the bowl at the ruler's table has been emptied. As such, this could happen before most tables have had a chance to finish their bowls or long after. Regardless, the bowls will be taken away and in their place bowls of wine or beer with golden and ceramic ladles will be placed. This wine will then be watered down typically to a ratio of 2:1 in favor of water or 5:1 if a child is at that table. This is done to prevent drunkenness too fast. There is often great variation in what wine is served, and they may even vary from table to table. Serve yourself with the ladles, or if you fear staining your clothes, ask a passing slave. If you would like to try the wine from another table, direct a slave to fetch you a ladle full. Never go to another table to get the wine yourself. If the wine is finished, new bowls of wine or beer will be brought to replace the old ones. With each new kind of wine/beer, slaves will wash out your bowl with special jugs of water. Unlike the initial beer, all others are not drunk from a communal bowl, though using a straw is still typical.

While drinking from your bowl, it is expected that you will slurp, however it is rude to do so if someone is actively talking, slurping should be done to fill silence. Always hold your bowl with two hands. Do not let any wine or beer drip down your chin. After each drink, wipe your mouth with your napkin.

At the same time as the wine is brought, food will too. The ruler's table will get theirs first. Food typically arrives in groups of three, typically a bread, a meat or fish, and something else (this will vary, a vegetable, soup, etc). In the case of soups and stews, or items served in a broth or thin sauce you will be served by the slave/servant that presented the dish. If you finish your first bowl and want more, you may request more, however you must not serve yourself. There is no such rule for items which are dry. These you may be taken directly from the platter using your fingers. However these bites should first be deposited onto the plate, rather than being put directly into the mouth. You must clean your fingers with the cloth before taking more, not doing so is considered gravely offensive. All bites should be complete, if a piece of food touches your mouth, it should never be placed back onto the plate, the table, or serving platter. If you find that you do not like a bite, or you find a piece of gristle or bone, you should spit it onto the floor, a dog will soon clean it up. In the case of seeds and vegetable/fruit peels, these should be spit into the jalhuka.

As with the first beer, the arrival of new courses is determined by the eating habits of the royal table. When the ruler has decided that they are done with a particular course, the dishes for all tables will be removed and then replaced with new ones, regardless of the wishes of other diners.

It is typical for a banquet to consist of upwards of 30 dishes spread over the course of several hours. You are not expected to eat from every course, and often vegetable dishes will not be touched at all (these are often served purely for show). If you begin to feel full, you may stand and walk it off, only after announcing your intention to do so by turning your drinking bowl upside down. Alternatively you may take a diet enhancing potion such as madilu. If these do not suffice, you may induce vomiting. In the case of needing to vomit, whether intentional or accidental, vomit into the jalhuka. Though you are not expected to leave the banquet after vomiting, it is considered good manners to skip the next course.

The After Party

The meal will typically finish with a warmed beer or wine, fruit, nuts, and cheese. The ruler is always the first to leave, along with his table. It is up to the discretion of the host, when other guests will be made to leave. Often after these banquets, the guests, drunk and happy, will engage in parties called, Feparati, named for the Kishite God of Intoxication, Fepaha. Dancing, singing, games, sex, fighting, further drinking, and other forms of entertainment are typical here. This debauchery is thus often the subject of songs and raunchy poems. Children and married individuals without their partners are strictly banned from these festivities. Sometimes the Feparati may take place in the same banquet hall, or they may take place in one of the palace courtyards, or they may even spill out of the palatial complex, forming a parade of sorts through the city. Though there are few social expectations during this time, you will be held responsible for any damages you may cause during the revelry the next day.

Some Miscellaneous Rules

As with vomiting, if you need to blow your nose, do so into the jalhuka

Burping is encouraged, and considered a sign of appreciation. As with slurping, only do so when it does not interrupt the flow of conversation at the table. If you need to burp and someone is talking, indicate so by holding up your index and middle finger in front of your lips, facing away.

Passing gas is considered offensive. If you need to do so or relieve yourself, excuse yourself by turning your drinking bowl upside down and walking to the nearest toilet or dalduz, you may ask a slave to guide you there. This is usually little more than a pit or channel leading outside of the palace. This is also where the contents of the jalhukun (plural of jalhuka) will be poured. When you leave the dalduz, and return to the table, you are expected to skip the next course, and to wash your hands with your water bowl before resuming eating.

Sneeze towards the ground or into the jalhuka. Do not cover your mouth with your hand, clothing, or napkin. Never sneeze towards food.

Do not speak over someone of a higher rank than yourself. If you wish to contribute something to a conversation and are having issues finding a gap in the conversation, hold your hand in front of yourself with the palm facing upwards. Do this until a gap in the conversation allows you to speak or until one of those currently speaking acknowledges you. If you are of a higher or equal social rank to those speaking, this is not a concern.

Only your hands and forearms may touch the table. Never rest your head, feet, or any other body part on the table.

Eat with your mouth closed, do not talk with a full mouth.

If you are talking and wish to stop momentarily in order to take a bite or drink and yet you are not done with your story and point, ask one of the others at the table to hold your place. This is done to prevent anyone else from starting a new conversation. They will hold out their hand flat, with the palm facing towards the table. This is a call for silence. You will then take a bite or drink and then resume where you left off. You must only take one bite or drink before resuming, to do otherwise is considered rude. You cannot do this if you are going to relieve yourself, or leave the table for any other purpose.

Do not approach the ruler's table unless expressly told to.

Do not interrupt the performers, if you wish to take a turn on the stage, wait for them to finish.

It is considered unclassy to wear closed footwear at a banquet. Sandals or barefeet are both preferred.

If your napkin/cloth becomes too soiled to use, give it to a slave to clean. You should refrain from eating until such time as they return.

Do not wash your face with the water in your hand washing bowl.

Do not suck on your fingers.

Do not pick your nose at the table.

Do not scratch yourself at the table.

Do not touch the dogs while others are eating (you may do so after the banquet, though there is no guarantee that they will be friendly)

If you are choking, grab the hand of your neighbor and put it on your chest to indicate as such. If someone indicates to you that they are choking, flag down a slave to assist them.

Do not throw food, unless to one of the dogs.

Follow these rules and you will have a pleasant (enough) experience at a Kishite Banquet.

Now a look at the OCs

These are as these characters are at the beginning of the story.

Narul

Kishite Banquet: 3/10 While Narul is a slave working in a royal palace, and has even been in the dalukshi for a number of banquets, he's never actually partook. He knows the basics, but he would be awkward as all hell. He would struggle to order things from the slaves and his own status would make communicating with the others at the table difficult. He couldn't even enjoy getting drunk as it takes massive amounts of alcohol for Narul to feel intoxicated. He may not purposefully cause trouble but, unfortunately I think his size and awkwardness would ultimately mess things up for him.

Formal Dinner: -3/10 No. Trying to squeeze Narul onto a fragile little wooden chair would be a nightmare. Imagine an adult sitting at a child's tea party set, that would be Narul at a formal dinner. Trying to teach Narul how to use a fork and knife, much less various kinds, would be a nightmare. A wine glass would be little more than a sip for Narul, and it is almost guaranteed that he would accidentally break the glasses. Those tiny fancy servings would do nothing for Narul, and he would almost certainly be still hungry when he left. He wouldn't complain during the meal itself, but he would almost certainly find an excuse to not come to the next one.

Ninma

Kishite Banquet: 10/10 Ninma has been going to banquets since she was an infant. She knows all of the etiquette, she loves a banquet and insists on wearing her best before every banquet.

Formal Dinner: -10/10 Ninma would somehow be worse than Narul at a formal dinner. Whereas Narul would be confused and anxious, Ninma would be confused and angry. She would have to be told multiple times not to dunk her hands in the water jug to clean them. She would be annoyed by the lack of dogs. (Who else is supposed to clean up the pieces of food that she throws on the floor?) The forks and knives would confuse her and she would ignore them in favor of her hands. She would be horrified to be served food that wasn't bite sized and would almost certainly choke herself trying to stuff a whole piece of chicken or fish in her mouth. She would make all of the hand signals, and would become increasingly angry that no one was responding to them. She would be outraged that no one was serving her wine or beer (She is a princess, how dare you suggest she is too young for wine?). Why is the table this shape? Why are there so few courses? Are you poor or something? What do you mean I can't just grab the food I want from the platter with my hands? Where are all of your slaves?

Hours of being told how stupid and terrible your dining customs are by an angry spoiled child.

Otilia

Kishite Banquet: 8/10 The Korithian Banquet is quite different from its Kishite equivalent, however she would would adjust relatively quickly. Knowing Kishite would certainly help with this. She would take some issue with the rules surrounding not being able to set food back onto your plate after it has touched your mouth, but ultimately she would get over it. Certainly she would have an easier time adjusting to a Kishite Banquet than the Kishites would adjusting to a Korithian Banquet. She would be pleasantly surprised by the fact that Kishite men and women dine together, unlike Korithians who dine at separate tables.

Formal Dinner: 6/10 She would be a bit awkward, and as with the others would take a bit of time to grasp the concept of most cutlery, however she would learn it much faster than the Kishites. She is a good conversationalist, and would pick up on the rules of modern conversation fairly quickly. She would be somewhat disappointed by the small servings of wine, but would be subsequently shocked and a bit scandalized by the fact that the wine is not watered down. She would be unused to sitting on a chair to dine rather than reclining on a couch.

Zatur (Zatar)

Kishite Banquet: 3/10 Zatur has even less experience with banquets than Narul and is an even worse conversationalist. Zatur has a strong distaste for anything noble, and banquets are no exception. He would disparage and actively ignore most of the manners. The only real thing he would have over Narul is that he isn't a hulking giant that will break things by accident.

Formal Dinner: 2/10 Zatur would be just as dismissive of our manners and customs as he would be towards the Kishite ones. He would use his fork(s) to violently stab his food. Lots of loud chewing and messy eating while he glares at the other diners. If you attempt to start a conversation with him, he would almost certainly just glare at you all while he continued to eat. The only reason he would be better than Narul and Ninma is that he would at least fit at the table and he would just glare at you or ignore you, rather than berating you like Ninma would.

Akard

Kishite Banquet: 10/10 The gold standard, taught in the ettiquettes of Kishite, Apunian, Namutian, Pyrian, Knoshic, and Ikopeshi dining. Polite, well-dressed, charming. He could teach the host how to do their job, but of course he never would, because that would be rude.

Formal Dinner: 9/10 Akard is a quick learner and would pick up on the various rules rather quickly. Good conversation, polite, he would offer to help clean up, he would be a perfect guest. The only real reason why he loses a point is because he would need initial coaching when it comes to dishes and utensils.

Thank you for the question, sorry it is such a big one, hope you enjoyed it though.

#testamentsofthegreensea #writeblr #writing #fantasy writing #worldbuilding #narul #fantasy food #sts #ask answered #thanks for the ask #world building

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flashnthunder · 1 year ago

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Miscellaneous tag game

@grumpy-liebgott and @sharkboyandlavalieb tagged me <333 and i am of course a million years late

Favorite place in the world you’ve visited?

inside the us i would say maine, i love the ocean/forest combo it's got going on

Something you’re proud of yourself for?

coauthoring several medical research papers as an undergrad, which is like my one and only flex and it's a nerdy one

Favorite books?

new hampshire- robert frost, the art of being human- michael wesch, ajax- sophocles (yes, only one of these is technically a book ik)

Something that makes your heart happy when thinking about it?

it might be cheesy to say music, but music and my friends <3

Favorite thing about your culture?

from the midwest US (so there's not that much), but i was raised very much in borderline appalachia and the older i've gotten the more i've come to appreciate that as part of how i was raised, so i would say quilting! i was taught to quilt by the women in my family and i still cherish the connection to them through that

When did you join the HBO War fandom? What was the first show you watched?

band of brothers in 8th grade, my history teacher would play it for us and i'm pretty sure he used it in place of actually teaching but he was a real one and also a drill sergeant so i don't think anyone argued with his methods

Have you read any of Easy Company’s books? If so, which ones were your favorite?

have NOT read any BoB books, but i have read most of the ones that inspired the pacific + a shit ton of pacific memoirs in general

Favorite HBO War character and your favorite moment with them?

lip and luz with the dud shell, bull watching out for the younger replacements, the officers in the eagle's nest, and just in general all of episode 8

Do you make content for any fandoms, if so; what sort of content?

band of brothers, top gun, the pacific (hypothetically), mota now it looks like, way back to my roots would be star trek and also whatever was going on with bandoms in hs that is a dark time

Favorite actor/actress and your favorite film of theirs?

oooh idk it changes, but last year i was on an ethan hawke kick- 'adopt a highway' and 'first reformed' are two he's good in (obligatory dead poets society mention ofc)

Favorite quote/s that you wish to share with others?

"Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night." - sarah williams

Random fact your mutuals/followers don’t know about you?

so bad at fun facts uhhh. uh. i am double-jointed in my hands.

If you’re a writer, do you need a beta reader (say yes so I can be your beta reader 🤭)?

i have NEVER had a beta reader and i am simply too scared to ask how it works because i'm not sure anyone should have to be subjected to my writing process but!! always willing to give a new thing a shot

Three things that make you smile?

my dog when she stretches in the sun, swimming in a creek in the summer, sitting in the car with my best friend while it rains

Any nicknames you like?

izzy! i have liked it well enough to all but legally make it my real name, other than that izzy-maye from people i'm close with, or iz/izzers when people are in a hurry

List some people you love to see around on tumblr!

@andromeddog art makes me go feral, @mutantmanifesto killer art that is living rent-free in my mind, @ewipandora MWAH you already know you make my day better on here, @onehelluvamarine has me kicking my feet giggling when they're in my notifs, @terresdebrume lovely writing <3

What would you do during a zombie apocalypse?

foolproof 3 step plan, ready for it? 1- find a good ditch 2- lay down in the ditch 3- just let it happen

idealistically i think i could go chill in the woods for a semi-significant period of time and be alright

Favorite movie?

logan's run (comfort movie, questionable 70s sci-fi), the hunt for red october (always feeling very big feelings on this), arrival, apocalypse now, fury, dead poets society, alexander (like the 4 hours version because im insufferable like that) the old star trek movies

Do you like horror movies?

i love horror movies WITH people you will not catch me watching them on my own, but 100% love love getting to sit on someone's couch and watch one

Tagging:

(no pressure and apologies for any double tagging) @ewipandora @blood-mocha-latte @deputy-buck @lamialamia @blurredcolour @saturnwisteria @staud + anyone i tagged in my answers and forgot to tag down here, or anyone who just wants to do it :)

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hadescrow333 · 2 years ago

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As this is my first post, I find it appropriate to start off withe the beginning of creation (accourding to Greek mythology of course)

This portion of the myth will not be dedicated to the gods singular, those will be later posts where each god/titan/etc gets their own post

There are many different stories contradicting eachother, so I’ll try my best to either explain each one or just go withe the one that’s most popular

In the beginning of creation there was only khaos, whom was a great void of nothingness (so very chaotic right?). Then suddenly pop came Gaia, who’s basically Mother Nature earth peep, Tartarus, the deepest pits of the underworld (I love this word TaRtArUs), Eros (but honestly I think it means the personification of love instead of EROS EROS because most versions state Eros is Aphrodite’s child), then Erebus, Darkness (and an amazing name to name a cat), and Nyx, the night (another great cat name) (also the only peep Zeus fears, which I think is pretty cool)

So Gaia (without the help of male productivity) then gave birth to Uranus, who is the sky and I will call Ouranos because that is what I was taught when learning Greek mythology (books my peeps)

Though some accounts state that Gaia and Ouranos were both made from Chaos instead of Gaia birthing him.

Oh and cool little fact, the sky was thought to be a brass dome by the Greeks, and Ouranos was the personification to that brass dome. Brass you may ask? Why brass? Why so specific? That’s the same question I thought to myself, and therefore searched for the answer and actually there was a reason for this. The Greeks did not think of colour in colour, but in scales of brightness. And I guess the Greek thought the sky was shiny, like brass. (Think of that one piece of work where the ocean was deemed wine dark)

Oh I also should probably add that the family history includes Erebus overthrowing Chaos, and then Erebus being overthrown by his children, but that’s a long story I’ll dedicate to another post)

Gaia and Ouranos then became a thAng, and I could go all poetic about how oh the sky and the earth were bound for loneliness so against the odds given to them they became one together, but no I’m not going to because I’m such a good poet. I digress.

Oh and my dude Ouranos decided it would be cool to decree himself supreme deity, cool cool my(😬) dude.

Anyways, Gaia and Ouranos hit it off and had some premeditated children. (Yes. This wording is purposeful. No. I will not explain.)

Now to go into the kids of Ouranos, yay..

(There is no foreshadowing here folks!)

So Ouranos sired children withe Gaia, the first set being six sons. Three Cyclops (one eyed peeps), there names being Brontes, Arges, aand Steropes. And three (insert me staring at the google search of how to spell this) Hecatonchires, named Briares, Cottus, and Gyges. They were dubbed the One Hundred Handed Ones(I’m pretty sure if you’ve read Percy Jackson Briares is in a part of it(?))

Well, Ouranos was awfully concerned about how powerful these giants are, so he locked them away. There is some debate about where he locked them up, but it’s widely believed he locked them in the deepest pits of Tartarus.

Gaias, as most mothers would, did not quite agree withe this, and wasn’t all too happy withe him. This is fine, nothing is bound to happen right? (…)

Oh little fun fact about myself, while doing this I had my big ole mythology book that I love and have no recollection of getting (I just found out I stole it from my father, and he’s never getting it back), but do know it is a good flower press. And very informative (which is good because it’s huge and has a very decient portion that is deticated to Greek myths yay) My delicate dried flowers are falling (I mean, sorta, I would never actually let them fall but they are taking damage and potential destruction so it COUNTS) as I type this out, know I have sacrificed greatly to bid thee information I already know and honestly only need the book for spelling (yes I am proud of my useless knowledge of Greek myths) I DIGRESS.

So as this is happening (or maybe after, it doesn’t directly state, only specifically states that the giants were first created before the titans) Gaia also birthed the 12 Titans. Who are Oceanus, Tethys, Hyperion, Theia, Coeus, Phoebe, Kronos, Rhea, krios, Japetus, Themis, and Mnemosyne.

So Oceanus was the titan god of the great oceanic river that forever circles the world. (I. WILL. EXPLAIN. In another post this is getting long and I’m not even halfway done) His wife is his sister Tethys (if you don’t like it go away because you definitely won’t like Greek mythology, oh and they practically don’t have the same DNA or morals as us sooo)

Hyperion was the first sun god, and his sister Theia was his wife.

(You do not know how hard it is to not digress and spill facts and stories BECAUSE THERES SO MUCH THAT ISNT SAID ON HERE the only thing saving me is that I have other posts I can rant about them on)

Coeus, who isn’t very important other then his offsprings tales, wived his sister Phoebe.

Kronos, the youngest of the bunch, married to Rhea, who was the titan of motherhood, and other foreshadowing things.

Ok this is getting long the rest of them are Krios, Japetus, Themis (goddess of justice), and Mnemosyne (goddess of memory)

So let’s get back to Gaia, as I said before she was livid at Ouranos for ya know yeeting her giant children to the great pits of Tartarus, and then imprisoning her titan children in her womb, so she took her titan children and was all like “oh my dear lovelys please go kill your father for me?” And then committed one of the most famous divorces in all of mythology.

Gaia created flint to make a sickle, then once done making it she told one of her titan children to murder their father withe it. I like to guess all of them looked at her in bafflement, for none of them took the sickle from her offered hand, except for one. (Insert mic drop)

Kronos, youngest and seemingly weakest decided he was worthy and took the sickle.

Then they conspired a plan, the plan being several versions. The main version being; for Kronos to strike once Ouranos and Gaia are settled down to lay, and the some of the other titans holding him down (another post my friends another post). So this is what Kronos did.

Once Ouranos was laying down withe Gaia, Kronos went boo, and castrated Ouranos withe the sickle. He then threw the genitals into the ocean (where Aphrodite was created by the sea foam where the genitals fell, later on but that’s a story for another post) From his blood giants popped up, as well as the Erinyes, furies who tormented the criminal minds later on when humans were a thing, and ash tree nymphs.

It’s not stated clear what exactly happened to Ouranos, some versions state that he died, that he withdrew from the earth, or that he exiled himself to Italy. (Yes. Italy. Very specific right? And there. Is. No. Elaboration.) All that’s known is that as he deported he said the Kronos “you shall be punished” (very original)

Yup ok that’s all I’ll do the gods and that age later byeee

#greek mythology #kronos #ouranos #greek gods #greek posts #myths #factsdaily #interesting facts #fun (fun..?) facts #story #greek titans #cronos #other helpful tags #and some that aren’t all that helpful #greek myth retellings

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bunnygirl678 · 13 days ago

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you very clearly have lots of fun while writing and it makes me kind of jelly ngl, how do you manage to do that? probably a dumb question but i want to start writing but at the same time the idea seems pretty overwhelming

Hi!

I'm so glad you sent me a message!

I absolutely love to write, but for me, it's more than just fun, writing is a lover, a lover that I can admit anything and everything to, I can be completely raw and then come out of the other side with something I see beauty in.

But-

like any relationship, it takes work. When I was younger I would come up with these epics and expect them to be on the same level of prose as the greats... on the first try. And so I'd write a bit, it wouldn't be what I wanted, and I'd say fuck all and kill it.

Then I realized something. Instead of blood, I had ink running through my veins, and I needed to let it out (I was reading poetry earlier, so i'm being extra obnoxious! LOL). I started writing without ever planning to show it.

Let me back up.

Writing is in my blood. I mean that metaphorically, but also genetically, a good portion of my father's family is "artsy" my great x3 grandmother was a published poet, my grandfather wrote sonnets on the backs on Denny's napkins while chain smoking, my cousin sends me his poems and short stories he comes up with while waiting for his coffee to brew. But whats more than that, I love stories, I love to hear people talk, and so writing has been calling to me forever.

When I was a teenager I wrote cringy poems (with a few diamonds in the rough) and attempted short stories that really didn't make any sense. As I got older, I'd dabble in it every once in a while, but it wasn't until when my personal life was imploding that I finally leaned into it.

I'd published a few fanfics through the years for the various (okay let's be honest, marvel 616 was my bread and butter, yes stony is real mkay?) fandoms I enjoyed. I wrote some stories that ended up in discord servers that no longer exist with people i no longer remember their names. So when I started again, I made the decision to write for myself and not force myself to publish. And now, I pretty much plan to publish almost every fanfic I've written.

Now this is a whole lot of babbling and still not answering your question, but alas I like talking about myself, I've also had 2 extremely weak old fashioneds.

Writing feels overwhelming because you want to write like the greats immediately. (or at least that was my problem, hello perfectionism) I read a lot, and I have a lot of specific authors that I am rather taken by, Hemingway, Plath, Bradbury, Storni, Fitzgerald, Angelou, Salinger, Bukowski (I read Ham on Rye wayyyy too young oops), just to name a few, I think a lot of my style has influence from the authors I've read, both published and fic, there are some fics that could stand next to some of the most world renowned writing.

But the way to write well, and to have fun, is to write poorly. You have arm your fears and slay them (All I've ever wanted The Airborne Toxic Event came up with that line not me). You are going to write badly.

And that's okay.

You know how much shit I write?

A ton.

You should see the notebooks sprawled around my house. Filled with the worst writing you've ever laid eyes on. There are fics that are absolutely terrible, horrible pacing, cliche after chiche, and just LAME. But I don't regret them, I created them.

I once heard writing is like a muscle, and as a runner I agree, when I first started running I couldn't go very far, not even 30 seconds of running, at my peak, I was running an hour and a half a day without stopping (okay I did typically have to pee at some point but that's genetics tiny bladder family, we are horrible to road trip with), writing is the same, I wrote horribly and it wasn't that fun, because I couldn't let go and enjoy the journey. Now? I love it. I need it.

I write daily. I can't help it. I have words that are trapped in my veins, and I have to get them out.

I write on my phone, I write on my laptop, I write on my todo list, silly little poems that come to mind while I attend to my daily grind, maybe this is a poem? who knows? who cares? I'm having fun, because in the end, i'm writing for me.

And maybe that's the point of it all?

I write for me.

I write to get the words out.

I write to release the thoughts that keep me up at night.

I write to feel connected to my past and forge some kind of future.

I write for me.

And you should write for you, fuck everyone else, be selfish, do it for you.

Again, I've had a few whiskeys and have been reading Plath again soooooo I sound a bit pretentious even to myself, ignore me, or don't, remember what I said?

I write for me.

#bunny asks

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alarajrogers · 6 months ago

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God, yeah, what happened to all the Loki fans? Not slavering over this because Loki's not woobie enough in it?

Guys, if you like:

hot bisexual poet dudes

hot transgender Viking witches

badass women

badass old women

supportive and still very manly men

m/f/f threesomes

werewolves who are more than a little crazy

the Vanir

LOKI BEING A RAT BASTARD AND YET INCREDIBLY SYMPATHETIC DESPITE THAT

...you really need to watch Twilight of the Gods. Yes, Zack Snyder. Yes, I know. Sorry. Sometimes a guy known for his bullshit actually pulls his head out of his ass and makes something great. Seth MacFarlane did it with The Orville.

This is the first adaptation of Ragnarok I've seen where:

Baldr actually gets to be a character, that you like, not a cipher with "Everybody Loves Me" drawn on his face

Thor and Odin are villains but appropriately complex ones

Loki. Oh, man, Loki. Loki being the lying, cheating snake he always is and yet he's doing it all to try to save his kids. He identifies as the scapegoat. He deliberately tells a man who's having a breakdown about his past crimes that he, Loki, is basically the Devil, whispering in people's ears to tempt them to dark deeds... and then the guy figures out, afterward, that this was a lie to keep him (the guy who committed said past crimes and was having a breakdown over it) moving in a dangerous place. He's your best friend and then he murders your other best friend. Who was trying to kill him for revenge. He very likely engineered the very events that he has promised you revenge for. He loves his kids more than the entire world and he will literally burn the world to try to save them.

They acknowledge that the entire story of Ragnarok was Pastede On Yay by the Christians and that Jesus Christ on the cross was the story that supplanted and overtook Odin who hung on a tree for nine days. Ragnarok is explicitly tied to the Christianization of the Norse culture. The people who have suffered at the hands of the gods see this coming as a good thing. We all know it ain't necessarily so.

Freya, exchanged to the Aesir by the Vanir in order to keep the peace, gets to hate the Aesir for it and scheme against them. And to be super pissed that the Aesir keep offering her as a concubine in their deals.

We meet the Vanir. They're really cool.

The story admits Sleipnir happened. And while the humans giggle and make fun of Loki, Loki himself walks proud with his eight-legged horse son and shows no sign of shame.

Did I mention Loki being a lying deceitful snake who makes your heart break with how much he's been hurt and is still hurting?

This is actual Norse mythology, not the Marvel version of it. Thor has a little bit of nobility and honor to him, but mostly he's a thug who murders innocent people because he glories in it and he won't tolerate people not fearing him. Odin is powerful and wise and numinous and also an asshole and also absolutely does not see his doom coming despite the fact that he sees his doom coming.

And Sigrid and Leif. I haven't felt so hard for a canon m/f couple in, my god, at least a decade if not longer. They love each other so much, and they make each other stronger, and they also do asshole things to each other and frequently it's to "save" the other from something the other does not want to be saved from.

Zack Snyders new adult animation netflix show, Twilight of the Gods is so fucking amazing. I adore it so much, and watched the whole show in one sitting and might do so again either tonight or tomorrow. But it's so fucking good and I wanna talk with people about it

(I love Ulfr so much, nothing can make me hate a werewolf/ulfhednar, not even if he is maybe possibly a cannibal)

#twilight of the gods

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the-diary-of-annt · 3 months ago

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I think if I were to ever do it, it would be sometime soon.

I’m sitting here wondering when it will ever get better. It’s Valentine’s Day. I love smaller holidays like this. When I was a kid it was so fun to celebrate the smaller stuff. Now that I’m a grown up there’s nothing fun about it anymore. I don’t get little gifts or even messages anymore. The people in my life insist that those days don’t matter anymore. But how is it that something that felt so big when we were kids somehow became so insignificant? The things that made us gather together and do stuff as communities no longer holds any value.

We have become so selfish.

No one around me understands why I still celebrate every single holiday or go all out for birthdays. I guess I can’t fully blame them because I used to feel the same as a kid. I grew up with a family that went all out for everything, despite us not being able to afford it. I didn’t fully understand it then but I do now.

Life is so precious. It really is. You’ll loose sight of all that can be good if you don’t celebrate with the people around you. Make the little things the big things. I think that if you allow yourself to be surrounded with happy things it’ll make the bad seem less big and scary.

But the people around me don’t feel the same, and it’s dimmed my light in many ways. My love language is gift giving. I love giving people gifts, even if it’s just small little things. But no one EVER does that for me. All I’ve ever wanted is someone to randomly give me flowers. Not pity flowers, or flowers to apologise. Just randomly give me flowers. I don’t even have a favourite type. I love them all. I’ll never forget when someone I was dating told me, “I didn’t know that you liked flowers, so I never bothered.” And I’m so desperate for love that I accepted it. Every inch of me is decorated with flowers. My sheets, my blankets, my posters, my phone wallpaper, the things that I wear. It’s all covered in flowers. I even have a big tattoo on my forearm that is a girl with flowers. That person saying that they never knew I would want flowers is just admitting that they didn’t see me. No one ever truly sees me.

It makes me think of when I’m dead and gone someday. I want to have been loved. I want to have been seen. I want my grave to always have flowers on it, where ever they decide to bury my body. I want someone to decorate my stone and sit with me for a while. Play my favourite songs and read me books. But I fear that it would be only then, that people would do such things.

My funeral should have absolutely no religious talk. I was a devout atheist who leaned into paganism. I always found the teachings of Earth and Mother Nature to be the most believable and honest. I want music by artists like Jeff Buckley, Taylor Swift, Halsey, 5sos, and Hozier to be played. Specifically Lover, You Should’ve Come Over by Jeff Buckley. I want my little pamphlets to have Rainer Maria Rilke quotes. Maybe even something from the Perks of Being a Wallflower.

“Whatever happens, your life will find its own paths from that point on, and that they may be good, productive and far-reaching is something I wish for you more than I can say.” Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet.

My stone shall be simple. I hope it says that I was a loving daughter and friend. Nothing more because in life that is all I have been. Maybe leave a spot next to me for my pets. Put the three of them next to me so I can be eternally with them. For I don’t want to be lonesome even in death.

Bury me in my favourite concert t-shirt. I won’t want to live eternally in anything else. Also please don’t pray for my soul. Don’t pray that I am in a better place, for I believe karma will have already determined what comes next for me. I don’t have an answer for what it will be. Whether hell or heaven do exist or I would be reincarnated, I don’t know. And it’s not up to us to know.

But when I’m gone, please remember one thing. Don’t forget to celebrate all of the small things as if they are the biggest things. Celebrate all of the holidays no matter how insignificant they are. And finally, find solace in art. For it will guide you when you feel the most lost.

Forever, Annt.

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