#i know my preferred form of creativity will return in time

[byuno-o]

ASTRO OBSERVATIONS I'VE OBSERVED (mostly about moon placements)

NOTE: PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS. HENCE, MIGHT NOT BE APPLICABLE FOR EVERYONE. ONLY FOR ENTERTAINMENT. HENCE, DISCRETION IS ADVISED. DO PROVIDE FEEDBACKS, I LOVE IT. :)

I have seen people with strong emotional responses having strong mars and debilitated moon placements. For example, one having strong Mars placements or degrees, in Mars ruled houses such as Scorpio mars and Aquarius moon might end up expressing their anger in a scathing way, you know: the kind of people who just know what to say to hurt you, or pull tricks which might be fatal for everyone surrounding them?

As much as I love my fellow Pisces, I just need to put this out: you need to put into the work in order to actually manifest what you want. You cannot just sit and wish for good things to come to you while you don't work on yourself.

Also, my friends with Pisces moons have a tendency to avoid the problems plaguing them, but they seem to become the biggest helpers when it comes to solving other people's problems. I often wonder if I should laugh for having such cool friends in times or need or cry for having friends who could careless for their own problems which in turn become the reason for their sufferings.

4) My Mom is have Taurus mars, and boy when they tell you that people with Taurus mars are the most chillest people you'll ever meet until you cross them the wrong way.

5) My father and I share the same moon sign, and I think he's the evolved version of Leo moon. I have this theory that a person's emotional evolvement is often related to their moon sign's sister sign. For example, my father has a Leo moon, but he rationalizes his emotions like an Aquarius moon would, keep things bottled up, and when he really has to speak, he'd speak about his emotions in a practical way--and often talk about the root causes as if he's delivering a motivational speech on self improvement.

6) on the other hand, my brother (youngest one) has Aquarius moon, and he is very dramatic, takes every word as a jab and has a very regal aura to him. Another example would be my two guy friends who have capricorn moon and cancer moon, and weirdly enough, the capricorn one is more emotionally charged than the cancer one, who is very mature when it comes to handing his emotions. The capricorn one is very sneaky, and is very petty to the ones who hurt him (I find it funny most of the time that he act like he is unfazed only to go to his social media and post shit about the person) It gives 'very mindful. But the cancer one is very nurturing, very motherly and respectful--even to the ones who disagree to him (he often debates a lot and often end up in verbal brawls) Although he can be scathing too.

7) Also, regarding the moon signs, I can see the changes forming within me these days. My solar return for this year has aquarius moon in my fourth house, and I have mellowed down, and feel very emotionally connected to my mother specially.

8) People with harsh aspects between their moon signs and saturn constantly fights against their own emotions, it's often like the fight between their mind and their heart. Hence they might try to be practical, but often end up expressing themselves in an opposite way.

9) I often imagine people with Libra moon with having a heart of gold, the 'very demure, very mindful' types. If they were to have their dark sides, I would think manipulations, and twisting words would be it. Do lemme know your thoughts on this.

10) With all my friends studying with me: we're in a creative field, I have noticed a pattern, their art preferences, and their dislikes regarding some aspects of art, are closely related to their moon signs. I have seen the ones having Sag moons gravitate towards creating pieces with many greens and purples, you know? Ecobrutalism but with a dash of futurism too? The most original ones in my opinions are the ones with pisces, leo and scorpio moons. my friends with those moon signs happened to always bring something new to the table. The most consistent ones with a very definitive art style are IMO, capricorn moon and cancer moon and aquarius moon. They'll make it happen, however.

THAT'S IT FOR TODAY. I HAVE BEEN AWAY FOR TOO LONG THAT THE OBSERVATIONS I HAD MADE (MOST OF 'EM) HAVE BEEN LOST. I NEED TO KEEP A NOTEBOOK OR SOMETHING. HEHEHEHE. DO LET ME YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS, AND YEAH, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY WANT TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS COS BOY I NEED TO IMPROVE.

[ask-tfone-megatron]

Decepticons, assembled! Today, I, Megatron, shall address a critical aspect of our conquest: open communication.

I don't wish to begin my regime with shrouded mystery, fostering skepticism. No more! I invite all to query me directly.

Fear not, for your curiosity will be rewarded, not punished. If I find your inquiry to be worthy of an answer I might also entertain you over my past as d-16.

Step forward, Decepticons, and inquire. Together, we'll forge an unstoppable force.

Important tags(alternative universe):

#u 1255 (tfo megop secret child):

Odyssey, megatron and optimus's child.. which optimus chooses to hide away from Megatron only to be discovered by him on a fateful day as the child went missing and found his sire (Megatron)

Theme- angst, fluffy

Pairing with @ask-tfone-optimus

#u 0124 (tfo Haunted au):

Megatron did it. He didn't save his lover as he said and now Orion is dead. Then why does he keep hearing voice? Why keep seeing him smiling in front of him? Is his lover's spirit keeps visiting him? Perhaps that is his punishment for his sin but then why he finds solace in this haunting illusion of his lover.

Theme- angst

Here Megatron is a grieving d-16

Pairing with @orionpax-arc

#u 0112- Rebirth Au:

What if Megatron returns back to his time to relive his life as d-16 but with his memory instant for him to remember his life as Megatron.

No pairing, open for all Orion pax rp accounts @orionpax-arc ,

RP rules:

Yes rp is allowed in DM!! But in chat form and mostly in drama style! (I can't write paragraphs in chats)

The second you start to feel uneasy and uncomfortable during rp please let mun know as my muse tends to be aggressive but rp is about fun and enjoyment not discomfort

Self and oc are allowed.

Whatever is in the DM .. will remain in the DM!!

If you wish for literature rp (not my best suit but you have to tag me in that post and if the scene is suitable for "TFO" Megatron to answer, he will)

Except a mixture of tfo and IDW Megatron while rp

Say rude things and you will get a rude response from Megatron. Tit or tat (I won't feel sorry for that)

(I will add more rules as I see suitable in future and if you wish to chat with the admin you are more than welcome to do so as I won't mind it much... please I sometimes feel very lonely 😭😭😭😭)

How Megatron speaks:

Normal

RAISED VOICE

Yelling

*action*/ action

How admin speaks:

Hello/((hello))

A little bit about Admin (me):

This is a sfw Blog so minors feel free to interact and ask.

Muse will not answer any questions regarding politics, hate, abuse and anything negative. Those questions will be deleted without hesitation.

Mun is a big megop fan! So if you are an optimus rp Blog I will definitely be there in your inbox!. Mun loves almost Soundop, Shockop, Megsound, Optiratchet, Driftratch, wheelratch

About muse:

Megatron is freshly after the tfo movie so the questions over d-16 are acceptable and welcome!!(Poor megs is sad and hurt)

He is independent as well connected to the canon (as much as possible)

This Megatron prefers to interact with intake before aiming his canon but do not mistake that as his weakness. He is still learning the curves of becoming a ruthless leader.

But he is soft for any sparkling in question

Muse and Mun's opinion will not always be aligned (mind it)

He is comfortable with the idea of multiverse as well.

Expect him to sometimes mess around and act more like d-16 (softie) and shit posting with other characters!(Whom he considers friends)

Here are some songs of my muse I love by @acaciasmith8 ((very creative I must add ))

That gif is created by @naeella please follow them!

[evanorphia]

okay, so if you follow me on tiktok you’re probably already aware of where this rant is going because i’ve spoken a bit about this on there, but i really need people to understand that fandom operates on a ‘don’t like; don’t read’ basis.

you can dislike/hate headcanons/ships/characters/fics/etc in this fandom (i have ships and hcs i dislike, and that’s okay, everyone is allowed to have different opinions and preferences) but the issue comes in when you take that dislike towards something and post about it publicly; when instead of ranting to your close friends, you put it on social media and/or hate on other people for liking/engaging with that thing. by posting about your hatred of something, that could a) be someone’s first impression of the thing and that can lead to them not forming their own opinion on it (i know this happened to me, my first interaction with one of the popular fics was negative and so i automatically disliked it rather than forming my own opinion on it), and/or b) upset them or make them feel bad about liking that very thing. this is detrimental to fandom as fandom spaces are supposed to be about creativity, sharing ideas, and a safe place.

the issue gets worse when, instead of just posting about the hatred on your own page, you go into the comments sections of other people’s posts. whether it be an edit/skit/etc that the person has made, they made it for free and out of passion for whatever the contents is. i’m going to use jegulus for this example because it’s a popular ship but this issue can apply to all ships (and more so applies to rarepairs), by commenting things such as “jegulus is a monstrosity of a ship” or “in canon this would never work” or “jegulus ruined this fandom” (which btw, it didn’t, no ship can “ruin a fandom” whatever that means) you’re actively making people NOT want to create content for this fandom and actively making people feel bad for things that they shouldn’t have to feel bad about.

moreover, this fandom seems to really care about characterisations of characters and i have three things to say on this. 1) we do not know enough about the majority of these characters to be able to mischaracterise them and the characters we do know about, we meet when they’re in their thirties and have been through copious amounts of trauma and a whole war to get to this point, they are bound to be different in their teenage years than they are in thirties. 2) the majority of this fandom is fanon and that’s the joy of it, everyone can have different opinions and headcanons and people can take inspiration from each other. if everyone characterised the characters exactly the same the fandom would be so boring and everything would just be a copy and paste of each other. 3) arguing over headcanons, especially stuff like “fem vs masc sirius” can have real life consequences. by saying that someone making sirius feminine makes him “less of a man” or “straightens wolfstar” you’re actively opening the floor for transphobia and homophobia and, as a transmasc who presents femininely and is in a relationship with a man, are you saying that our relationship is now “straight” or that i’m a woman purely because of how i present? please, let that sit with you before you argue over these headcanons again. if you don’t think the marauders boys would wear skirts, scroll or click off of the fic. (also btw, not everything has to be time accurate, that’s the joy of AUs).

furthermore, fanfiction is created for FREE. you do not get to criticise and hate on a fanfic like you do with published literature. fanfic writers have written fanfics for you out of passion with nothing in return other than kudos or comments, they are not making profit off of fanfiction (which would be illegal if they somehow were) and it is NOT their job like how it is with published authors. by hating on fanfics (no matter how popular or untouchable you believe them to be), you are actively discouraging people from writing their own and who knows — that could’ve been your new favourite fanfic. furthermore, a lot of ships lack fanfics because people are scared to interact with anything other than wolfstar and jegulus because of the hate that rarepairs get. there’s plenty of amazing ships out there that have so much potential but people are too scared to create for because of the hate/backlash they may get for creating for that ship.

all in all, like what you want and don’t like what you want, but don’t make it everyone else’s problem and if you don’t like something, scroll. thank you.

[jadeshifting]

Hi!!! Its the anon who said they were nicknamed Bear in their dr‼️

I was working on my spn dr and i have no real ideas for like what to be there.. I was thinking about being a witch who doesn’t need to do spells but at the same time thats a little lame imo so I’m not sure. I’ve been RACKING my brain for ideas and the only other one is like being a type of shapeshifter like a selkie?? but instead of turning into a seal when i put whatever item on I turn into a bear. Idk 😞😞

Do you have any other ideas or suggestions for me? Its okay if not I just wanted to ask someone and idk any other spn shifters💔💔

-🐻 anon

hi !! i’m really in love with the concept of a bear shapeshifter-esque creature, that’s exactly the type of niche creative stuff that’s rightttt up my alley. i explored that idea under the cut, if you still want more ideas for different kinds of creatures, you can totally let me know, but i just really like the bear-selkie ( belkie? ) idea :^)

this type of creature really reminds me of a berserkr from Norse mythology—warriors who were said to take on the strength and fury of bears in battle. however, in the Supernatural canon, i expanded the concept

— BEAR SHAPESHIFTER ( úlfbjörn / beorn / skin-changer )

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★ ⋆. ࿐࿔

these creatures are ancient, nearly forgotten beings with deep ties to nature, the old gods, and primal magic. they may require skin to shift (like selkies and their sealskins), but their transformation could also be instinctual and deeply tied to their emotional state

TRAITS IN HUMAN FORM

STRENGTH & DURABILITY. even in human form, you retain a fraction of a bear’s physical power. this makes you stronger than most humans, capable of enduring significant damage before succumbing

HEIGHTENED SENSES. you have an acute sense of smell, which allows you to track people and detect supernatural entities, similar to a werewolf but without the bloodthirst

SLOW TO ANGER, BUT BAD WHEN PROVOKED. like real bears, you prefer to avoid conflict, but when cornered or forced into a fight, the fury is nearly uncontrollable

HIBERNATION EFFECTS. if deprived of sleep for too long, you may enter a deep, involuntary slumber that can last days or weeks, leaving you vulnerable ( but well-rested when it’s over )

DIETARY PREFERENCES. craves high-calorie foods ( berries, honey, raw meat, fish ), though you are perfectly capable of enjoying human food normally

LONGEVITY. you age slower than humans and can live for centuries if not killed

WEAKNESSES

SILVER. while not instantly fatal, silver could burn you or slow your healing

HUNTER SUPERSTITIONS. older hunters may mistake you for a Wendigo or a werewolf, leading to hostility

EMOTIONAL CONTROL. extreme emotions (rage, grief, fear) could trigger an involuntary shift

DRUIDIC MAGIC. spells designed for nature spirits or creatures of the Old Ways could potentially be used to bind, weaken, or repel you much more effectively than any modern spell work

TERRITORIAL NATURE. you can become blindly and fiercely protective of people and places you consider yours, sometimes to an irrational degree

PLOT / THE WINCHESTERS

TRACKING & HUNTING. your heightened senses make you an invaluable asset to Sam and Dean, allowing you to locate supernatural threats a lot faster than most hunters could

HUNTER DISTRUST. other hunters could be suspicious of you, leading to conflicts where the Winchesters have to defend you

ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE. because of your origin, you may possess knowledge of forgotten lore, aiding the Winchesters in dealing with old gods, curses, or creatures that may be beyond their usual scope

VULNERABILITY TO THE SUPERNATURAL. unlike demons and angels, who exist on a metaphysical plane, bear shapeshifters are deeply connected to the physical world, meaning you’re more susceptible to nature-based magic and ancient rituals

MISC. DETAILS

SCARS IN HUMAN FORM. any wounds you obtain in bear form leave faint, silvery scars when you return to human form

BEAR-LIKE BEHAVIORS. you may growl softly when annoyed, huff when amused, and sleep heavily, sometimes waking up disoriented

AFFINITY FOR WINTER. you are at your strongest in colder climates, while excessive heat may cause discomfort or even weaken you

additionally, if the nature of being a shapeshifter or someone connected to old magic is a heavy weight or something you feel you’d need time to adjust to, you could always script that you’re a cub still. since these creatures live for centuries, the cub stage of their life could be much longer than humans or other creatures. ( ex : if these creatures live to be 300 years old, they could still be considered cubs until the age of 75, and that would still be within the kid-to-adult age ratio of humans, which is a life expectancy of 72 and being a child til age 18. ) that may mean that you don’t fully have all of your powers just yet, which would give you time to ease into it when you shift there

hope some of this was helpful or gave a doorway to explore the idea more !! love u xoxo :^)

[dribs-and-drabbles]

Get to Know Me Tag :)

I was tagged by @telomeke and @hughungrybear. Thanks for tagging me!

do you make your bed?

It depends... I live in the part of the world where it's usual to have a duvet in a duvet cover and a sheet covering the mattress, and I have a duvet twice the width of my bed so it usually doesn't get rucked up during the night, so when I get up I fold over the top third of the duvet to air out the mattress/sheet. If it's a work day, it will stay like this until I get home, then I will usually pull the duvet back over the bed. If it's a weekend, I might make the bed again midday. I like it when my bed looks made.

what's your favourite number?

I'm not sure why but I like the number 7, and then also the numbers 4 and 3 because they make up 7. I've never really considered numbers beyond single digits to be 'favourites'. But if I did it would be my birthday day. Oh and I don't really use favourite numbers as important passwords or pins or the such...jsyk.

what is your job?

The work I do is quite niche, so I never really want to say too much because I'm pretty discoverable online with a few key words...but then sometimes I really want y'all to know what I do because it's unusual (and, I think, quite cool!)...but without revealing too much I work in the arts sector - specifically dance.

if you could go back to school, would you?

School, as in aged 11-16? Absolutely the hell no. But school as in higher education, degrees, masters, or smaller qualifications for my general interests? Well, I sort of did a few years ago (*she looks at the calendar and realises it's more than 'a few'*). I did a Creative Writing Masters over 2019-2020, which was GREAT to do but sort of killed my spirit and drive to be a writer...but whatever, I can always pick it back up again in the future if it returns. I also went to classes to learn Swedish when I lived in Sweden and I'm going to a different language class now one evening a week. I enjoy studying...but I get too focused on getting good grades.

can you parallel park?

Yes but I only do it when the space is big enough for me to confidently do it (especially with all these sensors beeping nowadays) and usually only on the side of the road opposite to the steering wheel (I can drive on both sides of the road).

a job you had that would surprise people?

I think my whole career is probably surprising to people but in the sense that I think people are mostly confused because they don't really understand what I really do on a day to day basis.

do you think aliens are real?

I think it would be incredible if in this whole universe we are the only planet who has developed 'life'. Aliens don't necessarily have to be intelligent life like us (and that's debatable sometimes!), so yes, I think somewhere in this universe there is another planet which has the conditions for some form of life, whether we could survive there or not.

can you drive a manual car?

Yes, I learnt on one and have managed to adapt to both right-hand and left-hand gear sticks, although I'm still a little 'fumbly' with the right-hand gear stick. I prefer automatics when in a traffic jam but otherwise I'm happy to drive whichever. Sometimes it's good to have something to focus on when driving, so a manual is good. The problem happens if I've used different hire cars in a short period of time (which I need to do sometimes with work) and when I forget I'm in a manual and brake coming up to to a junction and just...stall because I forget to change down gears 😂

what's your guilty pleasure?

If a guilty pleasure is something I'd feel shy or embarrassed admitting or talking to others about...then it would probably be watching ql or reading fanfic 😂 Other than that I'm not sure I have anything...I enjoy what I enjoy and don't feel guilt over it.

tattoos?

No but I've always thought about getting one but I think the thought of the work I'd have to do to find someone I would really trust to permanently mark my skin means I've just never done it. But I would like some kind of minimalist abstract colour art that starts on my shoulder and trails down my arm. Maybe. I've never been able to find exactly what I'm imagining, which is also why I've never pursued it.

favorite color?

I think I'm in my blue stage in my life, looking at the majority of colours surrounding me, but I also like pops of red.

favorite type of music?

The music playlists I listen to most are 1) OSTs and similar style songs from all the qls I've watched over the past 3 years 2) the instrumental background music from all the qls I've watched and 3) Swedish pop (to keep the language fresh in my brain). I do like all kinds of music - just NOT drum and bass - anything can work for me in the right mood.

do you like puzzles?

Yes, although I don't often do them. I enjoy the 'escape room' type Exit games as well as sudoku, and for a few months several years ago I really got into hanjie puzzles.

any phobias?

I'm not sure if this is a phobia or not but I absolutely CANNOT deal with cotton wool. Just thinking about pulling it apart makes me want to crawl out of my skin and lay down in a bath of acid just to get away from it let alone actually TOUCHING it and pulling it apart 🤢🤮 The cotton wool pads are ok because they have smooth sides and I don't...pull 🤮 them 🤮 apart 🤮. Ok, I gotta stop talking about this now, I'm squirming in my seat.

favorite childhood sport?

I did gymnastics as a child, from about aged 8 to 13, but I don't know if that counts as a 'sport', although I did compete. I didn't really enjoy most ball sports as a kid.

do you talk to yourself?

ALL. THE. DAMN. TIME. I talk to myself in my head. I talk to myself out loud. Sometimes, if I'm talking to myself aloud about something important and then do something that means I can't continue (cleaning my teeth, drinking/eating etc) then for some reason I can't continue in my head. I have to wait until I'm finished to then talk out loud again. But I also talk to myself aloud when I'm out 😬 but I do it quietly and without moving my mouth too much so people don't notice. I was in a shop recently and a gentleman was talking to himself out loud (commenting on the offering of tea towels ikea had and wondering whether to buy any) - loud enough that I thought that he was actually talking to someone else but he wasn't - and I felt like I had a glimpse of my future if I wasn't careful 😂

what movies do you adore?

I don't watch a lot of movies nowadays - the last I saw was Barbie. But the one that has stayed with me as a favourite since I first saw it is Some Kind of Wonderful. And I love The Holiday as a Christmas movie (although I haven't watched it for ages). Oh and it's not a movie, so maybe doesn't count, but the BBC's adaptation of Pride and Prejudice has my whole heart.

coffee or tea?

I'm definitely a tea drinker (approx 3 cups of black Earl Grey plus one or two herbal teas every day) but sometimes I'll crave a coffee...but then I'll have decaf. I'll crave it because I think the milkiness of it (oat milk though) makes it feel like a comfort drink, and I like a small shot of gingerbread syrup in it too.

first thing you wanted to be growing up?

I remember things like 'lawyer', 'journalist', and 'doctor' were common aspirations when I was a kid which I also contemplated but when I decided I wanted to be a dancer at aged 13 that was it for me. My 'back-up' career plan was some kind of palaeontology or archaeology ("you get an -ology you're a scientist!" 😂) but I never needed to pursue that.

Onward tagging: I'm not sure by now who has done this or not, so I'll tag some people and if you have done it then tag me in your post so I can read it! @grapejuicegay @dimplesandfierceeyes @casualavocados @ranchthoughts @jourquet @lollygirlpops @airenyah @incandescentflower and @linosaur

Like @telomeke, I also get tagged now and then by others in various tag games but then get too busy with work to be able to do them. So if you've tagged me and I've not responded, please know that I really wanted to but I just didn't have the time and then probably forgot.

[finchinmoria]

My Favorite ROP Characters as Crystals

I needed something fun and low-stakes to keep my mind off Real Life Things, so here are the crystals I associate with some of my favorite Rings of Power characters 💎💍💎

Adar, Celebrimbor, Annatar, Mirdania, Elrond, Galadriel, & Gil-Galad under the cut.

🖤Adar🖤 Black Tourmaline

Black Tourmaline is one of the most protective crystals. Black Tourmaline has a Mohs hardness of 7-7.5 so it is fairly resistant to scratching. Unlike Uruks, you can put Black Tourmaline in the sun, but extreme heat or temperature changes can damage it. Metaphysically along with protection it is said to purify and transmute negative energy in the auric field and in the environment. Physically, it has high iron levels so it’s also highly magnetic, which tracks because regardless of how other characters feel about it, no one can ever seem to get out of being in close proximity to this Uruk. The downside of Black Tourmaline in my experience is that it can be a little too grounding on the root chakra so if you’re in a bad place it can pull you down even further until you’re just sort of obsessed over safety and physical resources. And if there’s one guy that needs to get out of his root chakra from time to time, it’s Adar. (If you’re giving me the side eye emoji guy 😏 thinking about Adar’s root chakra, you know very well that’s not what I meant. Also, let’s be friends.) It doesn’t help that I think Nenya looks a lot like raw Blue Celestite which has a very high vibe crown chakra energy, and the little time he had with it was enough to knock some clarity into Adar. So, yeah, he needs all the high vibes he can get, but he’s still more of a root guy overall. The rough/raw form of Black Tourmaline is pretty much Adar’s aesthetic to a T, honestly his sword has the same texture on parts of it. But the crystal can also be polished and is often made into jewelry so you can carry its protective properties with you. Which for someone who apparently hasn’t changed clothes in like three thousand years, a pendant would probably be right up his alley.

[I almost picked Black Obsidian for being volcanic glass and also possessing protective qualities, but it was just a lil too shiny so the tourmaline won.]

🍯Celebrimbor🍯 Honey Calcite

All right, look, calcite is one of the most common minerals on earth and it comes in such a variety of vibrant colors (a lot of them look like candy) that they have been given an array of trade names related to food, but when it comes to Honey Calcite (also called Golden or Amber calcite) I’ll give it a pass. You look at this crystal and it just looks like honey and all the connotations that come with it: sweet, comforting, warming, joyous. Which are all the things I think about when I see Celebrimbor. Metaphysically this crystal contains properties befitting the greatest of Elven smiths: creativity, willpower, strength, confidence, resilience, clarity, and focus, among others. Physically, though, you have to be more careful with Honey Calcite than other stones. It comes in at only a 3 on the Mohs scale of hardness so it is susceptible to scratching and you shouldn’t leave it in the sun or put it in water. It can be and is carved but only when handling it properly. Raw and tumbled forms of this crystal are pretty widely available. All in all I think this describes Celebrimbor pretty well. He’s open and eager to share, grow, and learn. He is strong, focused, and driven. But his weaknesses and fears over his familial past become flimsy containers for his principles and ideals. Rather than focus on his end though, I prefer to think of the time when he built up his craft. Those years no doubt were industrious, warm, joyous, and creative in many different ways. Things we all hope to return to when times of darkness fall upon us. Things that Celebrimbor’s story gives us.

✨Annatar✨ Pyrite

I know, I know, it’s kind of low hanging fruit to attribute literal FOOL’S GOLD to Annatar, but it’s much more than that. What other crystal befitting this “Lord of Gifts” other than the pinnacle of the nature museum gift shop that is pyrite. Like, yes, the other colorful smooth tumble stones are pretty and did stuff to my brain but those dense sparkling chunks of gold were what my eight-year-old heart truly longed for and I would have considered crimes at the very least of murder to score a piece or two. And I don’t know what it is about it but as an adult pyrite continues to be one of my favorite crystals. What’s even more, I for some inexplicable reason love tumbled pyrite. Have you seen tumbled pyrite? Not like the polite smooth sort, I’m talking the feral kind with all the little craters and pockets. I saw a meme once that said whoever was the first to decide to tumble pyrite should be sent to jail forever, and it’s true but also, I love it? My tumbled piece of pyrite is probably my favorite in my collection. How? Why? I don’t know. It attracts and it repels. It manifests and it reflects bad stuff away. All my chakras sing for this stupid stone. It’s so dense, it gives me everything I want. Pyrite is only a 6-6.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness which isn’t bad, but it’s not great, either. Pyrite does tend to be brittle and breaks/powders easily. Even though the natural cubic formations are largely the most interesting and prized, that hasn’t stopped people from carving the material into any and every shape you could want (even the audacity that is tumbled) or to use it in jewelry. So, yes, Annatar is pyrite. I hope someone lobs a piece of it at his head then kisses it better.

🤍Mirdania🤍 Stilbite

The energy of this crystal is compassionate and calming. Metaphysically it is used in matters of emotions and can help with understanding dreams. Overall it has a very nourishing and peaceful energy. Physically, Stilbite rates 3.5-4 on the Mohs scale of hardness, so it is a fairly soft stone. However it is not as fragile as some other softer crystals. You can briefly get it wet or place it in the sun without damaging it. Naturally the crystal forms in clusters but it can be polished. Clusters/raw pieces, tumbles, and palm stones are popular. The peachy, gleamy color of this crystal is what made me think of Mirdania at first, but the other properties of the stone fit well, too. She is nourishing in her relationships but she is strong and driven in her forge work. She stands up in her own way when she feels like action needs to be taken. Her softness isn’t fragile, necessarily, but it can be taken advantage of. Overall I think she values trust and harmony. This stone is also associated with wisdom, truth, and enlightenment. Certainly all traits Celebrimbor would have valued in her work as one of his smiths. And not to come off like Creepy Annatar, here, but I think this stone greatly matches her gentle beauty. **Does NOT reach out to touch her hair**

💙Elrond💙 Lazulite

Lazulite isn’t a super well known crystal, but polished pieces of it are fairly easy to find and purchase. It has a darker purply blue color with speckles that look like a dreamy, cloudy night sky. Physically it has a Mohs hardness rating of 5.5-6.5 so it can be susceptible to scratching from harder materials. Brief encounters with water or sunlight will not damage it. When I first got my piece of Lazulite, I immediately associated it with Elrond, because of the likeness it has to stars and the night sky, but also in the measured wisdom this crystal exudes. Metaphysically this stone holds psychic properties most apropos for an elf known for his gift of foresight: intuition, interdimensional communication, transformation, channeling, clairvoyance, and attunement to higher realms. Elrond always struck me as a very third eye centered person, overthinking things most of the time but only because his intuition about what it right tends to be met with backlash. The ability to fight and stand up for himself while also caring deeply for others has been quite a journey for him and is where his wisdom becomes derived from in his later years. That’s the vibe I get from Lazulite. The sky may be vast, dark, and overwhelming, but you can still look to it for guidance, light, and connecting the dots. You’ll get there in the end, and if you’re mindful, you can remain as kind as summer while you do it.

💛Galadriel💛 Rutilated Quartz / Rutile

Rutilated Quartz is when needle-like inclusions of goldish to copper hues grow within quartz. For Galadriel, I most associate the type that have gold inclusions within a super Clear Quartz. These are also known as Angel Hair Quartz, and even though it’s more of a LOTR thing in which she gifts Gimli her hair, I associate all eras of Galadriel with this crystal. As one of the most powerful and fair of all elves, Rutilated Quartz also looks magical and otherworldly, and high quality pieces are nothing short of dazzling. The sharp, spiky look of some more aggressive Rutile is a great illustration of her sharp skills as a warrior, and veer away from being particularly beautiful into being downright scary. Clear Quartz is said metaphysically to be an amplifier of energy, so it gives a boost and enhancement to any other crystal you pair it with. (Glares at Sauron.) Rutilated Quartz rates 6-7.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness, so it is pretty durable. The list of metaphysical properties of Rutilated Quartz is vast and far too many to list, but most of the properties are action oriented and powerful. This is not a restful crystal, this is a get !@#$ done and make things happen crystal. Even if that means sometimes you stab first and think later. Overall I think this crystal perfectly encapsulates the Lady of Light in all her complexities and brightness.

💜Gil-Galad💜Amethyst

Now before you get all uppity that I didn’t choose a gold or yellow crystal… 1) I’ll get to that… and 2) you cannot say he exudes solar plexus sunshine energy. He may be adorned in gold lamé but in his soul he is tired and he is Done.

First off, the reigning royalty of the crystal world is Amethyst. There’s probably not a single crystal collector who doesn’t have at least one piece of Amethyst. Every beginner set of tumbled stones includes an Amethyst because that’s The Law. Perhaps because of this, everyone thinks Amethyst can Do It All. And let’s be honest, Amethyst also thinks it can Do It All. It cannot, but it is still constantly thrown into every imaginable situation, and, well. She does her best (gender neutral). Metaphysically Amethyst is known for everything from physical healing to spiritual and psychic properties. On the Mohs scale, Amethyst comes in at a 7. One thing to be wary of is that Amethyst will fade in the sun. However, it is safe to put in water.

When Amethyst, typically purple in color, is heated it turns into Citrine which is yellow. (Very complementary as the opposite of purple on the color wheel is yellow.) Natural Citrine that has been mined from the ground tends to be a darker, brownish yellow, while Amethyst mined then heat-treated to turn into Citrine is a brighter more lemon looking yellow. There is a lot of heat-treated Citrine on the market. It’s not a “fake” crystal, but it was treated to change the color. If you want the natural “real” Citrine, you’ll have to do a little investigating but once you know what you’re looking for, it’s fairly easy to spot the difference. There are examples of crystals where part of the stone has turned into yellow Citrine but part of the stone remains purple Amethyst and these are called Ametrine.

All of that to say, our High King has had to be put under a lot of pressure to be this golden and under all that heat he’s just an overworked, broody but beautiful little gem. Still, he carries on. Highly coveted but does anyone really appreciate who he genuinely is?! Give this elf a break, a hug, a back rub. Just don’t leave him out in the sun for too long.

Thanks for reading. Obviously this is 💖just for fun💖 If you have any suggestions or additions, let us crystal bitch it up. Pretty rocks and pretty characters go so well together and I’d love to see other takes!

[nomsfaultau]

Important PR Response to the Wilbur Soot scandal:

    Abuse in any form is abhorrent, and I condemn Wilbur’s actions. Previously I had established the division between people and personas in my work. I failed to reiterate the stance during the course of Fault, and would like rectify this now. I work with characters and not creators.

No works will be deleted. I will be continuing to use Wilbur Soot as a character only in preexisting works. Fault, Mandatory Family Reunion, and back burner projects will continue. The preplanned plot lines will not be altered greatly, so don’t expect sudden deaths, character assassination, name changes*, etc. However, I am not certain about Lighting Lanterns to Bring You Home as it is Wilbur-centric so it may be abandoned.

The current plans for this blog’s future are as follows:

- My characters be tagged as ‘Noms Wilbur’ or ‘SCP Wilbur’ for people who want to block tags. If cc comes up, he'll be tagged.

- I will not be financially supporting Wilbur in any way. I believe this is an important component in any Death/Disavowal of the Author situation. My fics are unlikely to contribute to further monetary/platform support that facilitates the further harm of the victim/s.

- No new AUs will involve Wilbur, so as projects finish he will be phased out more and more. Though keep in mind Fault is an extremely long term project.

- For those who wish to disconnect from the fandom entirely and stop following this blog, I wish you the best. Genuinely. This is a rough situation.

If anyone has any respectful and reasonable questions/comments, the ask box is always open. Please do not engage in bad faith; I am trying to do my best here. Below the cut I discuss my personal justifications and philosophies upon the matter. I’m not trying to force them on anyone, so please return the same courtesy.

    My reasonings: As I said after Technoblade’s death, I’ve poured a little too much of my soul into this to stop. I fully understand the people who have walked away, because I also feel sick and angry and sad and just— betrayed that this person I admired and enjoyed was abusing the people around him. But I am not going to let Wilbur’s vile actions poison the pride in the art I’ve made. And the fandom? We built it, not him. These are our stories and our drawings and our joy. So many other wonderful creators and fans poured so much effort into this community. To me, it feels like a betrayal to Technoblade’s legacy to let everything be tarnished. And I’m just not ready to lose this fandom that has meant so much to me for 4 years.

    I’m going to try for a little nuance here, a dangerous game on Tumblr I know. But part of the betrayal that I’m sure many of us are feeling is the thought we were tricked into liking a bad person. I have a friend who has been pouring over all of Wilbur’s content the last few days, desperate to find all the red flags they missed, painting every single thing he’s ever done with the knowledge of the things we couldn’t have known. And it’s not healthy for them, or anyone. In many stories we like to have a clear cut good and bad guy, because it’s easier if it’s true. The abuser becomes a cartoonishly evil caricature that makes it harder to recognize them in real life, and it makes real victims seem stupid for being hurt when shouldn’t it be so easy to tell? But it’s not, it’s messy, and complicated, and awful. Because in real life, abusers are people, and they can do good things like charity streams and making you laugh when you’re having a bad day and fostering wonderful communities of creative, amazing fans. They seem generous, and kind, because…they are. And they’re also abusive. And it’s really hard to hold both truths at the same time, which is why people prefer jump to extremes of defending and demonization. We like to believe the people we like are good people.

    Truthfully, I don’t believe in ‘bad people’ which is probably evident in much of my writing. I find it a category that too often used to discourage growth, remove culpability, and dismantle nuance. The moment people become monsters there is no question of rehabilitative justice, no question of what conditions and structures enabled this that need to be mended, revised, or replaced. The question becomes how do we destroy the monster instead of how do we protect future victims. Remove support from Wilbur, yes, but the next step is to give that support to Shubble. Mobs are fun. They feel right. But monsters don’t exist, people do, and people are complicated and abuse is complicated and their solutions must be accordingly nuanced. Sticking one guy’s head on a pike might ‘save’ the victim (which: Shubble saved herself), but it doesn’t support them in the long run. And it certainly doesn’t address the underlying personal, mental, and societal problems that caused someone to be abusive and allowed them to be undetected. And if anything, when put in a corner most people only get more desperate and dangerous to others and themselves. Justice requires far more effort than monster hunting, which is why it is often rare. And like we already discussed, people are often bad at detecting when someone is abusive. I’m not saying Wilbur is innocent, obviously. I’m saying demonization is a dangerous game and most people have done good and bad.

    But also, most people aren’t abusive pieces of shit.

    I don’t want to demonize Wilbur, but also I’m not going to wipe my hands of it by throwing my hands up, claiming there’s too much nuance blah blah morals are complicated, and then not actually hold him accountable. Wilbur does not deserve a platform with which to perpetuate his harmful actions. In reaction to this, we need to build systems and communities that don’t enable abuse, to support victims, and to help abusers become better without giving them the opportunity to hurt other people or themselves. Which, you know, is *slightly* outside the scope of one SBI fanblog, but I’ll do my best and pray others choose the same.

    I understand people who want to raze everything he’s ever touched, to delete all their fan works and eviscerate their love for anything involving him. I really, really do. I feel nauseous every time I try to write. But I’m trying to not throw the baby out with the bathwater, because I’ve found a lot of good here and I refuse to abandon it. My enjoyment of the story and community Wilbur helped inspire does not condone the bad he’s done, nor do I support him financially or emotionally. It’s a really difficult line to walk, but this is where my morals fall at least. I want to reclaim the joy I used to have.

    I hope Shubble is able to recover and heal from the harm done to her. She’s a wonderful person and is lucky to have friends and a community that have supported her in this time. I’m glad that the fandom has (mostly) collectively disavowed her abuser instead of exploding into controversy and a ‘he said-she said’ toxic mess a la Dream style, even if it hurts knowing much of the community we’ve built has been destroyed. Lastly, I pray Wilbur will become a better person. I would like to believe anyone has the capacity for redemption, but that is a decision entirely within his hands alone at this point. As for me, I will simply do what I think reduces harm and uplifts joy.  I may be wrong, but I will continue to do my best.   

Again, if anyone has any respectful and reasonable questions/comments, the ask box is always open.

[the-trans-folk-witch]

Spirits Within Part 3: The Ouranic Self; A Divine Spark.

*This post is the opinion and belief of one folkloric witch. It is not a historical reference post or source for proper study. It is just spiritual beliefs I have formed from what I’ve learned in history and from other trad craft traditions. This is not a part of all witchcraft traditions and is not a belief all people hold. Feel free to disregard what doesn’t resonate. If you like what you read please let me know. I am always open to topical discussions.

The Ouranic Soul has been called many things by different folks. Some titles being largely misused but nonetheless accepted: The Higher Self, The Holy Spirit, The Holy Guardian Angel, The Bird, The soul or even the True Soul. It is a source of light within the head. It is essentially your brain, thoughts, beliefs, personality, your creativity, and overall just... you.

This is also the part of the soul that carries knowledge and a thirst for more. However, within many modern New Age circles this “higher self” is seen as something we must all strive to better or achieve an unreachable goal. It is seen as something that we are disconnected from despite being our actual soul... This belief is valid from a folk healing perspective and in spiritism traditions. But the New Age movement has pushed this spirit into a self-help and therapized category I find issues with. Whereas spiritsm has taken it from the perspective of achieving a heavenly afterlife. A model laid over the idea of catholic afterlife experiences. I find spiritsm to be way more healthy and respectful of these two concepts. However I am neither a New Ager nor a spiritst. I dislike the concept of this soul part being tied to the "higher self" I hate pointless psychoanalyses of religious practices being forced upon witches as I wrote on in part 1.

Winter is quickly approaching here. I think back to a time when spring was considered the first season of the year. It was then moved to the birth of Jesus in December. But now the new year starts in January. Although the calendar is an illusion of men; I choose to believe in it. Winter is the start of the cycle for me.

December 20-21- the darkest day of the year-marks the time when the sun returns. From then on the days become longer. The spark of life returns to the world. Christmas lights are sparkling, Jesus has been born, and there is a spark within all human interaction. I view the "higher self" as part of this spark.

From the time of the big bang, creation, what have you, humanity was to become the leaders and holders of intelligence. I believe the Ouranic self, as i prefer to call it, is the seed of creation within us. It is the source of wisdom that ties us to the divine or creation. It is the cosmic connection all minds have to the stars above. The head is its resting place. It is aligned with light bringer entities, knowledge, learning, self awareness, healing. It is the hearth of the three souls. We retreat to it in the cold when the body is tired and the heart is cold. We read, we create, we sing, we listen.

In my own practice, the divine spark is aligned with the "catching of the holy spirit" as seen in Ozark Pentecostal traditions. However it differs in a small way. To me, the "Holy Spirit" is permanently within us. It is not called upon from an outward source or god, it is gifted to us once we become awakened or aware of the spiritual path ahead of us. It is the hunger for knowledge that is within us. Maybe even the hunger for power. (Whats the difference between knowledge and power?) I find myself using dove imagery to describe it. Just like the holy spirit in fact. I use the prayers of the church for it, the bible verses, and anything celestial or angelic I can find. However, i find a deeper connection to it than Christian's. Because it is not a spirit of god, it is my spirit. It was made by the divine and placed in me forever. Similar to the way many other protestants view it. It is the voice within the mind that gives us wisdom. But sadly, not everyone's gains wisdom on its own. It steals it from others or has a desire to stay ignorant in all ways. This is the common human. Someone who hates "gnosis" and loves bootlicking.

I can't help but think of my place in this community. I am a source of knowledge for men to drain to feed their own spirits and wallets. Many a time have I been milked for information for books, blogs, articles, and podcast. Only to not be mentioned, paid, or thanked. This is the struggle of transness and of a developing Ouranic soul. We witches, healers, and cunning folk are the spiritual leaders of today and of ancient times. And most trans people are these same titles in history. Our ouranic self is and will always be stronger than cis peoples. It is a fact. What better way to acquire wisdom than to undergo an identity crisis? Queerness is a leg up for the ouranic self. The misfit feeling creates a hunger that the average person will never know. Your mind develops to cradle the divine spark in a way theirs never will. You have the strong calling to research and obsess over the spiritual in a way that overlaps nicely with your autism or OCD. Your neurodivergence is a super power here. we were made to be divine leaders. Not to fit into the world of man. Our differences improve our souls. So i say I will never let terfs push their wombs into magical spaces as if they are superior to trans women. No longer will I allow mental illness to be seen as weak. And never will I allow a non-marginalized group to call themselves a witch. If you are not on the side of the oppressed you will never reach heaven. If daily life in capitalism, workplaces, or social setting, is easy for you then the title is not yours. A mind can not grow if it is not challenged. And your "higher self" as they call it is not as high as you assume. In 2025 we must remain strong. Find your people. Hold your spirits close, and find power in your soul. Things will get wors ebefore they are better. Each time your core beliefs are challenged is a time your mind expands and your passions are strengthened. Ride the wave and start a movement.

[charongess]

Hello, I've been thinking about the direction I want to take my own art and I find the way you organize your art blogs between different styles interesting. What do you think of the divide between art that takes much time and skill and art that's more "marketable"?

Oh I like this question a lot. This is a thought that frequently keeps me up at night. I am going to write a lot about this so forgive me if you were hoping for a concise response. I'm also not the best writer, heh. Prefacing with trigger warning for addiction. We currently live in a world where fast paced consumption is the crux of just about every industry. I think as a society we are all aware of it on some level. However, I view it from the lens of a recovering addict. I spent about half my life struggling with addiction. I had the worst cold turkey crash I ever had about four years ago. I thought I was going to die, the withdrawals were so bad. I think this was a necessary part of getting clean for me. I needed to see how bad it could get in order to change my perspective and clear my head. I think the world might be headed down the same path, addicted to consumption like a drug masking the pain of a broken system. We're all clawing at something we can't have because we haven't experienced the fall yet. I don't know if it will happen in our lifetimes. A part of me hopes it does and a part of me would prefer to stay comfortable in the system we have. Change is hard. I think the growing divide in marketable and long form art is a reflection of many things. The best metaphor is the tension on the kite string. Eventually it will snap. Much like the growing wealth divide. On a personal level. When it comes to my art, I would like to work on my high end introspective work but I have bills to pay, thus I am forced to put my energy into my easier, but marketable art. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy that art, a lot. It's helping me process a part of my life I felt like I missed out on during my addiction. However, it is in my heart, a means to an end. It is funding my desire to return to a more intricate art form. I'm hoping in five or ten years I will have saved enough to live on while I focus on this account. Through that, I am also contributing to a system that I'm pretty sure 99% of us don't like. I fear that in time, even this method won't be possible. I fear for future generations. In comes the conflict, the guilt, the jealousy, and the reminder that the world is deprived of so much creativity because we are both victims and perpetrators of this process. I don't think it's by design. I think it just is, and there will be the other shoe eventually. Until, then I continue to try and earn the resources to be able to create unburdened by the fees of existing. It's the only way I have been able to figure out how to earn my keep as ethically as possible. I don't blame social media, artists, or consumers. We're all just mirrors of each other. We all have dreams and goals and we're all forced to play the same game. Some of us are just luckier than others. Thanks for asking.

[bts-hyperfixation]

Outside of the fox

Chapter 12 of? 4058 words

Y/N longs for a new life when the one she'd been living comes to an abrupt stop. Without much thought to those she is leaving behind, the little fox packs a backpack and disappears. She stumbles across the shelter and makes an interim home for herself while she works out exactly what she wants from her second chance.

Last

"Good morning beautiful, how was your weekend?" Taehyung says too loudly as he walks into the office.

You glance around but none of your co-workers even acknowledge his entrance. He practically glides across the foyer to stand with you behind the front desk.

"Any messages for me today?" He asks grabbing your lunch bag, not waiting for you.

"My weekend was... interesting. Mostly lazy I guess. We can talk about it more at lunch." You answer his first question knowing he isn't really listening as he reads Jimin's note to him.

"He wants to meet me?" Taehyung asks, eyes wide.

"Well, the pack wants to invite my only friend outside the house to spend winter solstice with us... but yeah you can interpret that as him specifically wanting to meet you if you like." You shrug.

He sticks his tongue out at your response, deciding you were just jealous of the connection he and Jimin were clearly forming through their two post-it interactions. Then he steals your lunch away and continues into the office. You hope he is putting it in the fridge, but you don't remain optimistic.

It's a long day, Taehyung has a meeting at lunch, although you aren't overly sure what kind of meeting an office mail guy would need to be privy to. You eat your lunch quietly by yourself and return to the desk 20 minutes early to try and keep yourself busy. The torturous day drags to an end, and you finally head home.

You are the first to arrive.

As usual Jungkook is in the living room on his switch, although no one had had chance to reset the furniture, so he still lay on the blow-up mattress. His ears perk up as you walk through, but he makes no move to look away from his game, so you continue into the kitchen. The fridge is empty save a few bottles of juice, the cupboards have only a few cans of soup, and the bread in the container is going mouldy.

Apparently no one had had a chance to go grocery shopping this weekend.

You pull out your phone and create a new order in the supermarket app, setting the delivery time for the next evening. You try to remember everybody’s preferences, including Hobi's seeing as he was practically living at the cottage now. He claimed it was all to do with his creative process, but the whole house could hear what he and Yoongi were talking about in hushed voices in the early hours of the morning. The walls were reasonably thin.

"Kookie, anything you want on the food shop?" You call.

"Can't do the food shop until Joonie is paid on Wednesday." He calls back.

"Don't be silly, we have no food. I'm doing one now. What do you want?"

The bunny finally pauses his game and shuffles into the kitchen. He glances around at all the open cupboard doors and thinks for a few moments.

"I guess I'd like some carrot gummies... If they aren't too much." He says sheepishly.

"Of course they aren't too much, they're only sweets."

"Yeah but sweets aren't necessities, sometimes we have to go without extras." He shrugs.

"Jungkook? Are you guys struggling with money?" You ask.

It hadn't occurred to you before. You knew they weren't exactly living like kings, but they never seemed to want for anything... And they took you in without a second thought to themselves. They kept everybody fed and Yoongi and Namjoon were always working. You knew how stressed Namjoon was, but you thought it was because of deadlines not financials.

"Um... I guess so. I didn't know they hadn't mentioned it... Please don't tell them I told you. Namjoon is so proud, and all he wants is to take care of us. He is doing such a great job I can't believe I've made you think he can't look after us." Jungkook starts to hyperventilate. "He is going to be mad at me."

"Namjoon won't be mad at you Kookie." You try to re-assure him, moving to him carefully. "I won't mention it to him if it makes you feel better. Just help me with the food shop and we won't mention this conversation again okay?"

He nods and sniffles. You put a hand on his shoulder, and he lent into the warmth. He then plucks your phone from your hand a starts adding all the things you've forgotten to the shop. Each item being the cheapest option available, no name brand items anywhere to be seen. After he is finished he presses order and hands the phone back to you.

"What about dinner tonight?" You ask.

"I think Yoongi is using the last of his advance to bring home Chinese food." He answers.

You send a message to the group chat to tell them you put an order in so they could add anything they wanted. You were met with some resistance by Namjoon who insisted he would give you the money back as soon as he got home but you refused. Making up something about doing the food shop as long as you weren't paying rent, refusing to back down until he gave in.

He tried again briefly when he got home but eventually accepted his fate when Yoongi told him to shut as he lay the dinner out on the table.

It was a rare night when Hoseok hadn't joined you for the evening, instead having plans with his parents. It was oddly quiet when he wasn't there to fill in the silences. His cheerful laugh usually echoes off the walls. The house felt a little bit like it did that night Jungkook spent in the hospital, but nobody addressed it, instead blitzing through little anecdotes about their days to try and fill the space.

"Oh! Taehuyng said he would love to come for winter solstice, if that's still okay?" You look across at Jungkook and he shakes his to make sure your earlier conversation doesn't resurface.

"Of course it's okay, we love having company." Namjoon says the smile on his face genuine.

You study his face closer than you ever had before. His dark circles were getting worse by the day, fighting his need to hibernate in order to keep the pack afloat. His hair is frazzled and desperate need of a cut. And his beard is patchy and rough. Your heartaches that you didn't realise how badly the stress was getting to him sooner.

"Hobi is joining us too." Yoongi says through his spoonful of noodles.

He is met with a chorus of 'duh' that has him questioning why he bothered speaking in the first place. The rest of the evening they walk you through all of their traditions for the solstice. They start with a huge meal at sundown, filled with meats, pastries, and dessert. It sounded delicious and had your mouth watering at the thought. Then they would go up on the hill in the back garden and watch the stars if it were a clear night.

They'd light a bonfire and let go of all the things that had happened over the past year, lighting symbols of their previous misfortunes. Bonfires were common on solstice, but your husband had never liked the smell, and your parents deemed them too dangerous.

After the bonfire they would then make origami stars with their wish for their next year and keep them all in a jar together. It sounded so romantic.

As Namjoon spoke you watched Jungkook's face light up, knowing this would be his first solstice with them too. It seemed odd to picture just Namjoon and Yoongi starting these traditions together. You didn’t know the story of how they became a couple, but neither seemed to be so romantically inclined. Their love for each other was evident in their little touches and hushed moments. But wishes in jars seemed too much.

Still, you were more than excited to spend this holiday with them. It was less than a week away and you only had three more days of work until you would be given time off to spend at home. The winter solstice allowed for two weeks off to spend the time with family.

Your husband had never bothered taking the time away, owning his own company meant he never had any spare time. you'd always have a nice meal, just the two of you, but then he would be straight back to work.

Butterflies fluttered in your stomach all week at the thought of actually having a big celebration.

The rest of the week work continued to drag by but Taehuyng made sure he was around for every subsequent lunch to cheer you up just a little.

Every day when you went home something about the house was different. Instead of playing on his switch all day, Jungkook had taken to watching DIY videos and making little ornaments out of scrap paper. He had strung paper stars to the sealing on Tuesday, using Namjoon's old unedited manuscripts. On Wednesday he had made hundreds of little snowflakes out of his comic books that he had finished with. Thursday you came home after a half day to Jungkook covered in papercuts trying to make paper swans.

He had frustrated tears in his eyes as he throw another crumpled ball onto the floor, landing in a pile of about twenty failed attempts. On the table sat two completed swans that looked perfect. You shuffle noisily over to him, making sure he can hear you coming before you sit on the floor next to him. Namjoon had finally moved the blow-up mattress back to the loft yesterday, but no one had replaced the sofas yet.

"Having trouble?" You ask.

You pick up one of the crumpled pieces of paper and smooth it back out until it's useable again.

"It looked so easy in the tutorial..." He grumbled. Falling back onto the floor dramatically.

"Well you managed it twice, so you are getting somewhere." You shrug, absentmindedly folding the paper in your hands.

"They took me an hour each." He sniffles.

You finish twisting the neck on the bird in your hands and place it on his forehead. His eyes open and he looks inward and up, crossing his eyes to see what you had given him. When he realises what you've done he springs up and grabs the two swans from the table to make sure you didn't cheat.

"How did you do that?" He asks in awe.

"I had a lot of spare time at school... let’s just say I had no friends. Did you want me to teach you?"

He nods enthusiastically, pushing his stack of fresh paper towards you. Today’s choice seems to be homemade recycled paper. Likely old, shredded documents. It was tougher than regular card stock to fold and explained at least half of his issues, but you decided against pointing it out. Instead walking him steadily though each fold for a couple of birds until he felt confident doing it himself.

The two of you had an army of swans surrounding you when Hoseok let himself in.

"Am I interrupting something?" He asks looking around at the colourful array coating the table.

"No, but can you start putting these up around the house? Maybe hang them with the stars?" You ask, handing him a bunch.

"Yes mam." He salutes and takes them from you.

He tries to make them even with the stars. The whole room looked like a grade school class room when the three of you had finished but it also had a touch of magic to it. When Namjoon came home he brought a little shrub with him to act as a ceremonial offering for the holiday and each member of the house placed their gifts underneath.

It was easy to tell who brought each pile of gifts. Jungkook's were evidently handmade. Jimin's were tied with parcel string and had hand drawn hearts on the tags. Namjoon's wrapping skills were awful, with the tape peeling away at the edges. Yoongi's on the other hand were meticulously wrapped. Hobi's were mostly just made of tape, they were going to require scissors to cut.

You had tried to make each of yours match the men. You were nervous about the presents suddenly worried you had perhaps spent too much. You had bought them before your conversation with Jungkook and had used some of the money left by your husband so you could thank them properly. Really they had meant to be goodbye presents until Yoongi had talked you into staying through the holidays.

You were still considering new apartments you could move to in the new year, but with each new day you spent at the cottage you found your will to leave slipping away. You spent much more time thinking about Jimin and what Yoongi had said and how that made you feel. You also thought about the others and what you really wanted. You had been so sure you were ready to be alone. But maybe that was never the problem with your previous life.

On Friday everyone had a lazy morning. No one surfaced from their rooms until 11am. Namjoon didn't make an appearance until Yoongi opened the door to Jungkook's room and blew the smell of freshly made pancakes in, luring the bear slowly to the table. You all ate your brunch happily, munching quietly as you enjoyed the sweet treat. In the afternoon Namjoon finally got dressed and declared he would be going to brave the supermarkets in order to pick up the remainder of the supplies they would need for the feast on Sunday.

You offer to go with him, and he accepts. Although you hadn't realised quite how vicious this experience was going to be. The store had a line halfway around the building and Namjoon just laughed your shock off as if this was normal.

"I hope you're wearing enough layers." He says glancing at your puffy coat.

"How are you so okay with this. It's one day, are all these people insane?" You ask.

"This is normal for this time of year... Have you never been shopping at solstice?"

"No, I guess I've never had to."

Your family had people to do this. And your husband would've never let you go grocery shopping with him or whomever he had sent. You weren't supposed to do anything so menial.

The line shuffles forward every so often when somebody leaves. Shopping trollies filled to the brim with online orders and last-minute presents. You're freezing after half an hour on the outside, the building doing very little to shelter you from the chilly wind. It would be at least another half an hour before you reached the safety of the foyer.

You glance up at Namjoon, but he seems unphased by the harsh weather. As a bear it probably came with the genes. He notices you staring and turns back to look at you.

"Shit, Y/N your cheeks are really pink... Are you that cold?" He looks around as if a solution might appear out of thin air.

"It's okay, it's not too much longer." You put on a brave face and smile at him.

"I'd say go sit in the car, but I forgot to fill it up..."

His eyes flicker like he is lying but you don't call him on it, you assume he just didn't want to waste extra money.

"Honestly I'll be fine." But your teeth chatter and betray you.

"This might help... If it's okay." He unzips the front of both coats and pulls you into his chest.

He is like a radiator; the heat fills your bones instantly. You melt into his embrace, allowing him to warm every inch of you.

"I'm not going to make you cold am I?" You ask looking up at him.

You hadn't realised how close his face would be to yours until he looks down to speak and his lips are barely a centimetre away. Quickly you look down and bury your face into his cable knit jumper. Missing the blush on his face as you rush to hide yours.

"It's.. um it's hard to make me cold." He coughs awkwardly as his arms encircle you to keep you close. Every so often he takes one arm back to push the cart forward as he shuffles the two of you in the queue.

You chat absently as you move, careful to only turn your face up to look at him when you know he isn't looking at you. The second half of the wait definitely goes a lot quicker now that you are warm and as soon as you are inside he lets you go. The heat drains from you and you shiver as you reacclimatise to your regular temperature.

"I can definitely see why you are Jungkook's favourite cuddle partner." You say as you rezip your coat.

He shuffles awkwardly and redirects your attention to the task at hand. He runs the shopping trip like a military plan of attack. He starts with the ordered food knowing it will take the longest. He leaves you there with strict instructions to text him when it arrives. You salute him jokingly, but he just nods and continues with his mission.

By the time the order arrives he is already halfway through the remainder of the shop. He has a space in the trolley carved out specifically for the order making sure not to crush any of the food. You then follow him around the remainder of the shop watching as he inspected veg and date checked fresh sauces. Having only seen the forgetful and clumsy Namjoon at home, watching this version of him was like he'd been body snatched.

One hour later you were stood at the till as he pulled out all his coupons and finished backing his bags. You were careful as you watched him pack, waiting for your opportunity to strike. As his back turns to check the list one final time, you slide your card into the chip and pin and pay before he can stop you. He starts to argue with you, but you look around and remind him not to make a scene.

He huffs aggressively but takes a hold of the cart and pushes it back to the car. He doesn't speak to you as he opens the door for you to jump into the driver's side. He refuses your help when it comes to packing the bags into the car. You can hear the clang of the cart as he puts it back where it came from, and you start to wonder if you'd pushed it too far this time.

"Namjoon?" You ask tentatively as he slides in next to you.

"Why did you do that? Do you think I can't take care of everybody?" He asks, voice filled with disappointment.

"Of course I think you can take care of everyone." You answer calmly.

"Then why do you keep insisting on paying when that should be my job, to provide for my pack."

"Because someone should provide for you sometimes too." You reach out to touch his hand.

He doesn't pull it back but he doesn't meet your eyes either. He stares dejectedly out of the front window.

"Namjoon, I live in your house rent free, and everyone is so kind, I just want to do something for you guys too. I didn't realise it made you feel bad."

"Everyone lives in our house rent free Y/N not just you. Jimin's job certainly doesn't pay enough for housekeeping and it's not Jungkook has a job."

"But they're your partners, I'm a freeloader." You chuckle trying to lighten the mood.

"You are so much more than a freeloader. Do you not see how happy you make everyone just because we come home to you? Even Jungkook gets sad when you aren't around. He actually whined when I came home first on Wednesday not you."

"Yeah, he really has come around in the last couple days."

"I don't think you quite realise the ability you have to light up a room when you walk into it." He says it to be nice, poetic even, but it just reminds you of things your husband would say.

He and his friends would always talk about how your appearance would change the dynamic in a room, as if that was the best gift you could offer the world. Your presence was enough, no one needed to hear you too. You know it's what Namjoon meant but it still makes you hesitate. He finally meets your eyes when you pause for a little too long.

"Namjoon... that's lovely. But it doesn't appease my guilt of taking what’s not mine and giving nothing back."

"I think we might have to agree to disagree on what you owe us." He says putting the discussion on hold. "We have frozen stuff we should get home."

You make a note to revisit the conversation late, but the opportunity doesn't arise again. The remainder of the afternoon is spent marinating meats and cutting veggies ready for the next couple days.

Taehyung calls around 7pm claiming to be bored at home alone, but you suspect he may just be overeager to meet your friends. You give him the address and immediately he is on his way to the house.

He knocks the door rhythmically, leaving the last two knocks to be completed by someone on the other side. Jimin is practically giddy as he answers the knocks, enjoying this impromptu game that's been created.

The red panda opens the door coming face to face with the great panda for the first time and it feels like electricity sweeps through the room.

"Pretty." Taehyung says.

For the first time since you've meet him it seems like he might've been knocked speechless. Jimin also doesn't speak, he stutters and moves aside so Tae can walk through the door. His cheeks are as red as his hair as he takes a bag from the newcomers hands to help him into the house.

"I've never seen him so flustered." You whisper to Yoongi.

"I know... it's odd. When he met you he wouldn't shut up." He whispers back.

Taehyung seems to snap out of his trance quicker than Jimin when his eyes meet yours.

"Beautiful!" He exclaims sweeping across the room to hug you.

"Put me down Tae." You struggle in his arms as he twirls you around.

"But I missed you today." He pouts but does as he is told.

You introduce him to the room, reaching Jimin just as his voice seems to make a reappearance. He manages to actually ask Taehyung about his job, a question that Taehyung suspiciously dodges the specifics of. They disappear together as Jimin offers him the grand tour.

"Hey, I never got a full tour." Hoseok comments looking at Yoongi.

"You were never supposed to make it outside of the studio." He shrugs.

"Well that's rude. Maybe I'll leave if I'm so unwanted."

Hobi places the knife he'd been using on to the chopping board and swoops dramatically past Yoongi.

"No one said you were unwanted Angel." Yoongi grabs his arm and pulls the human back into his lap.

Yoongi kisses Hobi gently and holds him there, trapped in his embrace, not that Hobi makes any effort to escape.

They were so cute like this. Neither of them was particularly affectionate in public but they were slowly getting more comfortable with showing this side of themselves around the cottage. It was nice to watch their relationship developing past late-night talks and stolen glances.

Namjoon looks at Yoongi with all the love in the world and it doesn't escape your notice when Jungkook looks at them longingly, but it seems more like he is looking at Hoseok than he is at Yoongi.

Dinner is served by 8pm. The table is getting extremely cramped as Taehyung pulls up another chair next to you. Your elbows brush together as you eat, and it's almost too loud as three conversations carry on at once. And you couldn't be happier as you glance around finally able to say you have your own group of friends.

Outside of the fox masterlist

The next few days should be amazing.

Next

Master list

I currently have a request form running for if you want to request one shots and drabbles. Please follow this link to the Google form If you have one you would like to submit. I will be writing these alongside outside of the fox. You can submit for completely new fics or for sequels for fics I've already done

[pinksilvace]

Back at you! Care to rank all Sagas?

oooh yay okay! I'm going to do this by order of preference

Cyclops Saga

Troy Saga

Thunder Saga

Underworld Saga

Ocean Saga

Wisdom Saga

Ithaca Saga

Circe Saga

Vengeance Saga

Cyclops - All around super strong. I get all of these songs stuck in my head frequently and they're all narratively fitting. Doesn't get me pumped as much as some of the others, but it's just so solidly good that I've got to give it first place. The pacing here also feels right.

Troy - REALLY strong opener. Those first few notes hit me and I knew IMMEDIATELY that I'd like this musical. I think all of the songs in here are strong but Just a Man is SO GOOD. Too good, honestly - almost none of the rest of the musical can stand up to it, which is an incredible boast for a second song.

Thunder - We talked about this a bit before, but it felt like a return to form when it came out. Suffering, Scylla, and Thunder Bringer are easily some of the best songs in the whole show, though I'm not really a fan of the others; they're a bit too on-the-nose for me.

Underworld - No Longer You CARRIES this album. Like, The Underworld is a very good song and Monster is... not for me, but I don't care because oh my GOSH does No Longer You slap. I need this to be the song every fandom adopts for animatics istg

Ocean - This placement was really difficult to decide. Let's be real, Ruthlessness completely outshines the rest of the songs, but everything in this saga feels like it needs to be present for the story Jorge wanted to tell. These songs are also each pretty unique and memorable... but Ruthlessness oh my GODS

Wisdom - My expectations for what I thought I'd like about this saga were completely inverted with what I actually like most from it. Love in Paradise is probably my favorite. God Games was a great idea, but I'm not sure it was given enough room to breathe; when convincing Circe to let his men go takes Odysseus four songs earlier on, having Athena convince six gods to end Odysseus' captivity in the span of five minutes felt... odd. Not saying I could handle it any better, but I think this plot point could have been adapted a bit differently. The Athena and Telemachus stuff is all really cute though!

Ithaca - I adore Penelope's voice. The Challenge is easily my favorite, but Hold Them Down is also really good. The rest... I have feelings about, due to how Odysseus' character was handled, which I'll touch on more at the end of this list. I think this saga in particular would gain a lot from actually being staged.

Circe - The more time that passes, the more I like this one, but I don't think these events needed to take up a whole saga when all it leads to is 1) Maybe kindness is good (something dismissed in the next saga), and 2) Here are the directions to your next location. Wouldn't You Like is my favorite song from this saga, but it could have easily been a line or two.

Vengeance - I don't think I've actually listened to this one again since it came out. The whole ramped-up anime battle thing doesn't really work for me. There are some other creative choices here I disliked that I'll elaborate on further down.

I definitely noticed myself enjoying these less as they went on, and I think it's because I've found Odysseus to be a much less compelling character since Thunder Bringer/Love in Paradise. What made Just a Man and No Longer You so great was Odysseus' internal battle between being a good soldier/leader and being a good man; I think that's a fantastic lens to look at this ancient story with. Then, once he chooses his own desires over everything else, he loses a lot of that complexity, which frustrates me because it could have been a cool modern interpretation if it felt like he faced any consequences. Polites' death had a much longer impact on him than all of the rest of his crew.

Those who've followed me for a while know that the Iliad is my favorite book; I reread it every year and have read four different translations so far. It's famously anti-war and filled with tragedy, and one of the most tragic aspects of it is the futility of it all; no matter how strong the heroes are, the tide of war shifts according to the gods' whims, and it's also up to the gods to decide who lives and who dies. This acts as both a way to point out how stupid the whole conflict is and shows a reflection of what indomitable forces the gods were (and are!) viewed as.

This in mind, I cannot understand how or why (Epic) Odysseus defeats Poseidon in a show of force. Beyond not making sense, it goes against Odysseus' character in the source material. In the Odyssey, this latter storm stirred up from Poseidon is one that Poseidon knows Odysseus is fated to survive; he just wants to make the journey harder, and Odysseus makes it through in a handful of pages at most. Odysseus' slaying of the suitors would have been seen as honorable; he'd have done it no matter how desperate he is when arriving at Ithaca's shores.

(Maybe my opinions wouldn't be so strong if he'd at least defeated Poseidon with a clever trick of some sort instead? Maybe the last saga needed a Monster reprise where Ody actually faces the reality of going home as he is. Idk.)

Overall though, I really enjoyed it and look forward to listening to the whole thing now that it's done!

[vyvienne]

Your character receives an anonymous package. Within it is a seems to be a bag of extremely fine black and gold sand. A small handwritten card within reads: "Pour me out but don't worry, I'll always return to the bag when you're done." (The sand will magically create the image of a person's face or the entirety of their person as a perfect replica of how you remember them. This person though has to be deceased for it to work. Who does your character think of? Why them? Sending this to a bunch of folks for the holidays so they have a surprise IC gift that might also hit them in the feels! Happy Holidays!)

Thorne and I are enjoying one of our increasingly rare discussions, this one focusing on the historical roots of Winterveil customs in various cultures when there is a sharp knock on the door of my room. I have not kept it a secret that I keep rooms at Silvermoon Inn so I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me when someone knocks on the door. But it does, each time.

I stand, moving to the door quickly but silently, silver dagger in hand. Thorne watches me, one long eyebrow raised. “One can never be too careful” I tell her. I place my hand on the knob, turning as quietly as possible. I expect to see someone standing there, a member of the staff or some random elf who happens to be lost. Instead, there is a small package placed in the exact center of the door. I study the package for a moment, sensing no ill intent. I pick it up and quickly shut the door, going to my desk. I place it on the surface, reaching out to take the card. Now my brow shoots up.

Thorne has become curious, though. I hand her the card. “Perhaps one of your new compatriots has chosen to gift you something? The abomination Varethuun? Or that lumbering Orc, the one who gave you the raven.” I laugh softly. “I can imagine Varethuun gifting me bourbon. Not this. And that “lumbering Orc” was creative enough to make that raven. I believe there are talents he possesses that you don’t wish to acknowledge in your racism.”

I open the gaily wrapped paper, pulling a ribbon to reveal a beautiful container. It appears designed exactly to my decorative preferences, giving off shimmers of deep blue and silver light as I turn it this way and that. Finally I decide to open it, pouring the contents onto the desk in front of me.

Beautifully colored sand of black and gold swirls for a moment, a near tinkling sound heard as they shift. Finally it coalesces into the form of my daughter, Emily. I gasp, immediately gripping the locket around my neck, the one filled with drops of her blood, magically sealed to keep the contents fresh. The sand continuously shifts, showing me her face. Her delicate features, so much like mine. But like me, her eyes belong to her other parent. I think of Drex and suddenly the sand shifts into his form before returning to my daughter, looking the exact same as the last day I was with her.

It is too much. I begin to cry. My eyes are transfixed on the figure before me. I can’t look away, even though a part of me wants to. It wants to relegate her back to the safety of “unknown” in my mind. “You did not know, not for certain, until now.” Thorne’s voice shakes me. I try to speak, but can’t find the words, so I simply shake my head in the affirmative. “But now you do. Your daughter is truly gone. This bauble brought you the confirmation. Who could have sent it?”

For several moments I simply sit, watching the sands shift into various remembrances of my child. My only child, now gone. I find my voice slowly, saying in barely more than a whisper “I do not know. Is it a gift, or a curse to receive such a thing though? I am unsure.” I remove an embroidered handkerchief from my pocket and wipe my eyes. I allow myself several more long looks before opening the container again. True to the note, the sands begin to flow back into the box until the very last one is nestled inside.

Thorne is hovering around me, concerned. I rarely express emotions like this, especially grief or tears. “I am fine, my friend. I will be fine.” What I don’t say, what I know to never say to her is that I have been afraid to know this but also secretly planning on how to bring Emily back to me should I ever truly discover her demise. Now I know and now I can attempt to go further. Deep down I know this is the true reason for joining myself with the Sanctum. The real need for more power. I want her back. I don’t care how to make that happen. Not what it costs. Not who must die to bring it about. And I felt only the Sanctum could understand such a desire without passing judgment on it. It is time to speak to Varethuun. Perhaps he sent the gift to bring me to this knowledge of self.

Regardless of the provenance of this gift, its abrupt arrival has shaken the veil from my eyes.

(Thanks for the ask @dinthoqaf!)

[colleybri]

Answer the questions and tag 5 Fanfic Authors

Tagged by @mosylufanfic :)

1. How did you get into writing fanfiction?

I’m relatively unusual here, I think, in that whilst I’ve been writing it since my teens I have had a good twenty year break up until a few months ago. Years ago, I just started writing it for my own pleasure - certainly no internet or easy ways to share it back then. More recently, I can attribute my return to one thing and one thing only: my love of the series Andor. An obsession that came out of nowhere in September 2023 when I watched it for the first time and it resonated with me in a way nothing has come close to in quite some time. After several months of writing various analyses of it I felt the urge to get creative.

2. How many fandoms have you written in?

Not many - most recently, Andor - obviously - and with the obvious overlap of Rogue One. Going back: I started out on E.T. (early teens then so that will date me accordingly :) ) - moving on to Aliens, The Silence of the Lambs and The X Files. Some novels then too: Narnia and Clive Barker, notably.

3. How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

As above, really. I’m in my mid 50s now - which I imagine makes me one of the older ones here. I dabbled most recently in the late 90s, with The Phantom Menace slashfics that were hugely popular back then - one of my friends was a superb writer (her stories were considerably better than the film itself ) and absolutely churned them out on whatever forums were around. They were a wholly new thing to me and I hadn’t even seen the film, but I dabbled a bit anyway :)

4. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

I write more at the moment, but I’m gradually trying to catch up with the reading. I missed Andor when it was first released and therefore the glut of fics from that time. But I’m getting to know the writers I really like and rediscover my own interests, genre speaking, along the way.

5. What is one way you’ve improved as a writer?

It’s really hard to compare as I haven’t got much left hanging around from my earlier years, but I would say that with several decades of teaching Lit under my belt now I do care a lot more about characterisation than I ever used to. It used to be all about the plot. I’m finding myself very drawn to subtext-heavy dialogue, internal monologues, drabbles and even poetry - the last being something I never thought I’d touch with a barge pole. I’m not saying I’m any good, just that I enjoy the challenge. That’s the main thing, in fact. These days I’m happy to embrace a challenge rather than shy from it. 

6. What’s the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

That would be what human flesh tastes like. For a Silence of the Lambs fic, obviously. The answer is apparently “pork crossed with beef” so I guess a genuine ragu lasagne would scratch that particular itch if anyone’s curious. 

7. What’s your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?

At the moment, as I’m pretty much starting from scratch and trying to find readers, absolutely anything. Probably excluding ‘don’t give up the day job’. 

8. What’s the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

Probably the cannibalism thing. Though that’s no doubt more mainstream nowadays…. I haven’t even looked at all the Hannibal (tv series) fics out there. 

9. What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

Anything long - the longest thing I ever completed was a 250 page novel but I was 14 at the time and haven’t come close since. Haven’t the stamina these days. Same with reading – I prefer one shots.

10. What is the easiest type?

Missing scenes or scene commentaries - not so much easy as such but probably my favourite forms, so they come relatively easily once I really put my mind to them. I find analytical essays the easiest of all, if I know the text well, but that’s no doubt a teacher-thing. I’ve made myself a regular feature on the Reddit Andor sub, probably to the chagrin of some :)

11. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

Looking at other answers to this one, I’m a bit perplexed. I have an elderly iMac and write on that. Hell, I used to do everything in long hand. Thank God I learned to touch-type. I guess I use Googledocs when forced to use my laptop. I’m fortunate to be semi-retired, so I generally find the time.

12. What is something you’ve been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

Something longer, I guess. Hard to tell. I was and am intimidated by Smutfics, but had a go at a challenge recently and was quite pleased with the result. Not something I’ll be writing often though - not the main event, anyway. Love the buildups, and there’s some really great erotica out there, but I do get pretty stuck using the same vocabulary if I’m not careful. I’ve done a few humorous variations and quite liked those too. I’m British, lived in Bath for many years so like to imagine Austen’s ironic take on sex scenes quite a bit. 

13. What made you choose your username?

Nothing very deep - it’s to do with where I live. I’m a keen birder and Colley is an old West Country (England) word for a blackbird. 

Apologies in advance for tagging you - I’m sure some or all of you have been ‘done’ already! I don’t know a huge range of writers yet and I’m new to Tumblr and Discord. Absolute social media dinosaur as I am. 

Tagging @beladonna02, @ceruleanphoenix7, @faceofpoe, @jake-and-amy-are-married, @vadercat

[1ris5starlight]

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{Hiiii folks!!!! Welcome to my channel, I hope that you will enjoy my post and stories!!

(And what I'm cooking😈).

But anyways, here some things about me:}

• My name is IrisStarLight; you can call me Iris, Star, Light or whatever nicknames you want (except insults).

• I'm a Demi-girl and (probably) Aroece.

• My pronouns are she/her, they/them (but I prefer she/her sometimes).

• I'm probably autistic.

• I'm a mess of creative mind and laziness.

• I'm obsessed with A LOT of shows and when I say the I'm obsessed, I MEAN IT.

• (like I said) English isn't my first language, so I might do grammar error...pls don't judge me, I'm trying my best and I'm still learning it.

• I'm a depressed and anxious person that probably needs therapy-.

• I'm mentally unstable👍.

• Mini stories will be written on Tumbler, AUs on my AO3 account(I will put my link when I start writing).

• I DO NOT ACCEPT INSULTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, SO PLS BE NICE AND SO I WILL TOO.

• PLS DO NOT STEAL MY IDEAS.

{But enough of me, now I will talk about all the ideas and stories I have (Most of them are still in process and I haven't even started writing them down).}

☆ AUs:

• SaMS/EaLS

- The Corrupted Star (aka Sun gets corrupted by Dark Star-power; he can see Witer Shards = 1⁰ sign)

- Kidnapped (aka someone, sent by the Creator, kidnaps Sun for the Creator's plan).

- My SaMS/EaLS AU (aka my version of SaMS/EaLS) (INFO)

- MALAVITA (aka my mafia version of SaMS/EaLS).

- Jumanji AU (aka Sun, Moon, Eclipse and Solar are trapped in the Jumanji dimension and the others try to get them out, but with a lot of complications).

- Experiment AU (aka Sun, Moon & Earth get kidnapped by Creator, because he needs to "finish what he started").

- Emotionless (what if Sun went Emotionless after he killed Nexus, because of the traumas?)

• TMF:

- Two notes of the same song (an SaMS × Tmf) (Timeline: after ep. 9) (aka Jake finds an old friend that will helps him with the current situation).

• Solarballs:

- Trapped on Earth (aka all the planets, minus Earth, and some Moons in their human forms are trapped on Earth's surface).

- My Solarballs AU (aka my version of Solarballs).

• Ninjago:

- A growing flame (aka Kai gets kidnapped by Imperium).

- Switched places (what if Kai and Nya switched places in season 15?)

• MHA

- My friend from the jungle (aka some Mha characters get teletrasported in another world by someone, that Izuku knows very well).

- Sams meet Mha (aka Sun and Moon meet the MHA characters).

• Voltron

- Found you (During a mission, Lance meet someone from his past that he misses a lot, but that someone really changed from the last he saw them).

☆ Stories:

• Mini stories(Old channel)

- A child always protect his parent (1,2,??)

- Sun is bi (1/1)

- The trauma has been summoned (1/1)

- Sun expose himself two times in one (1/1)

(I want to clarify, this was my OLD self that liked the kidscove ship. Now I DON'T like it anymore: currently, I support the Puppet x Foxy ship!)

• Mini stories(New channel)

- Lunar has a new trauma (1/1)

- An odd-bad dream (1/1)

- The siblings reunion (1/1)

- Repercussions of magic (1/1)

- They're besties! (1/1)

- "I love you dad!" (1/1)

- "NOT MY MAMA!" (1/1)

- Moon learns how to cook(kinda-) (1/1)

- "Not a good boy" (1/1)

- "GET OUT OF MY BROTHER!!" (1/1)

- Grilled cheese (1/1)

- "We did it..." (1/1)

- "New friend!" (1/1)

- After Show (1,2,3,4,5,6,??)

- Moon's ADHD has returned (1/1)

- Moon, you naughty boy! (1/1)

- Sun needs a better twin(joke) (1/1)

- Sun: the autistic bot (1/1)

- Dazzle is the King Lion now! (1/1)

- Moon's fear: mannequins. (1/1)

- Moon: the kamikaze (1/1)

- A VERY BAD live reaction. (1/1)

- One sided love (maybe) (1/1)

- Mr. Trans (1,??)

☆ Fandoms:

• Actively watching:

- (Sams)Sun and Moon show, (Laes)Lunar and Earth show, (Eaps)Eclipse and Puppet show, (Fnaf SB)Security Breach.

- Solarballs, Lmk, AvA/AvM, Jackson's diary.

• Still watching:

- Rottmnt, Tmf, Ninjago, Fnaf, I'm not that kind of talent (Intkot).

• Rarely watching:

- Voltron, Mha, Naruto, Demon Slayer, Wmmap, Murder drones, Bsd, Toh, Tokyo Revenger.

{So, that's everything for now.

Bye Bye Folks!}

{LOADING . . .}

{CLOSE PANNEL?}

{NO or YES}

{ • • • }

{PROCEEDING CLOSING PLANNEL...}

{AT NEXT TIME, BYE!}

{ / / / }

[artsartblog]

New art drop! Today I present my Gravity Falls ocs that I’ve attempted to draw in the Gravity Falls art style. These Art some ocs that I’ve had for years. I made them back before I started high school, like in 2014/2015. I attempted to redraw them back in like 2020 or so, but never really got around to finishing the redraws. Then I decided to try again. However, this time I’ve updated the lore on them (not that I really posted their lore here lol). So without further ado, here’s my Gravity Falls ocs

To start off with we have Lily Falls (yes her last name is Falls, I was so creative as a teen). Originally she was just a kid that was looking for a way to get her twin brother’s soul back after a deal was made with the demon Nati, ending up as friends with Dipper and Mabel in the process. Now Lily is an adult (included her as a young teen because I liked her design) and is still finding a way to get her brother’s soul back after a deal her brother, Hunter, made with Nati. She doesn’t know when the deal was made, but she knows from her own demon, Illumi, that it hasn’t been that long and that Nati probably has Hunter’s soul trapped somewhere. Lily and Hunter are from Gravity Falls, but both left when they went off to college. However Lily returned after four years at college (left a year after her brother went to college) and moved back in with her parents, who help her with getting a job and getting her own place, while Hunter is assumed to be at college. In reality Hunter had made a deal with Nati in exchange for his body.

Illumi is a demon, commonly mistaken for a dream demon but she’s never specified what kind of demon she is other than that she is more powerful than a certain yellow triangle. She takes on the form of a triangle because her true demon form will melt human’s eyes (or so she says, really she just finds it funny to freak people out who think she’s a poorly disguised Bill Cipher). She is able to make her own human form, which is something her brother is unable to achieve on his own. She rarely uses it because it’s such a hassle to turn into, but she has it.

Nati is Illumi’s younger brother, even if he acts more mature than her. He’s a try hard (as Illumi calls him) that is trying to prove that he’s just as powerful as, if not stronger than, his sister. The two have similar abilities, but there are certain things he can do that she can’t and vice versa. The obvious one being that he can’t create a human form, but she can. Which is why he made a deal with Hunter to have his body. Nati didn’t have any trouble taking over because he’s witnessed humans enough to know how their bodies work.

Illumi and Nati met Lily and Hunter when they were thirteen, the first time the twins ever experienced the weird things of Gravity Falls. Illumi bonded with Lily while Nati bonded with Hunter. Illumi helped feed Lily’s creative side while Nati fed Hunter’s more destructive side. Though no matter what the two demons always managed to get the two into trouble, which deemed the twins the troublemakers but it never really bothered them.

Hunter is technically the younger twin of him and Lily, but neither ever care about who’s technically older. He was more of an outcast compared to his sister because he preferred to be on his own if his sister wasn’t around. He enjoyed finding creepy things and scaring people with it. Before meeting the demons Hunter had a bit of anger problems, the only person who could calm him or never suffered from his wrath is his sister. However, those anger problems and destructive behavior became even more severe when Nati started bonding with him. Though it was never anything that would get him in trouble with the law, just resulted in a lot of detentions and groundings. When Hunter went off to college, which surprised many despite him actually being very smart and having some of the best grades in school, he made a deal with Nati to share his body so that he could just not have to be in control of his life for a bit. He just wanted to be able to just let someone else take over because life had just become too much for him (he was depressed, but didn’t want to worry his sister or cause her any heartache over his own decisions). Nati agreed to the deal, the shaking on it, and Nati has been in control for the past five years while Hunter just watched only ever taking control if he felt like he could or if he didn’t want Nati to fuck something up.

“Hunter” only returned back to Gravity Falls after hearing about Lily returning home, but it was obvi he wasn’t the person she knew and believed that Nati had his body completely. Nati nor Hunter ever corrected Lily and let Illumi just try to comfort Lily if she ever feared that Hunter’s soul would never return to his body and she’d lose her brother completely. “Hunter” is actually a successful con artist that is similar to Gideon, but it’s always advertised as a performance and that nothing he does is real.

The nicknames (from both Bill, Illumi and Nati) for Lily and Hunter are Lucky Star and Waterfall. I don’t really have their relationships with canon characters figured out yet, but that’s okay. Maybe Lily works at the Mystery Shack and that’s how she meets the Pines twins, idk. I just know that Lily and Hunter are both adults while Dipper and Mabel are kids, which is honestly the biggest change from my original lore on my ocs.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed the art. If you ever have questions about them or want to hear me just ramble about them feel free to send in an ask into my askbox and I’ll be sure to answer it! This goes for all my ocs and aus not just these ocs ^w^

As always, I hope you’re having a wonderful day and remember to always stay creative!

[executables-sims]

Get to know you: Sims Style

Thank you so much for the tag, @goatskickin! :D I am ill rn, so please excuse the rambling. x) Long post ahead!

What’s your favorite Sims death? Maybe fright? I've only ever had it happen once via ghost, the anim is pretty funny. :)

Alpha CC or Maxis Match? My Simblr probably says otherwise, but I don’t have a preference! I’ve had nearly every possible CC style under the sun throughout my years of playing, and I constantly think about reviving my 'semi-realism' folder (living vicariously through you, other simmers!). I didn't play with CC until early 2006 though, so MM is a little bit more nostalgic. :)

Do you cheat your sims weight? Hell no! I'm still in awe of Nysha's townie body diversity mod finally letting townies be fat. :D I wish the game had a better way of managing bodyshapes so I could add more variety that way.

Do you move objects? Of course!

Favorite Mod? Of all time? Impossible! My continued interest in gameplay is always because of new mods. :)

I did gain a new outlook thanks to a mod recently, though! My wild romance sim Blaze Biermann ended up 'mood swinging' to fortune before he went to uni, and instead of reverting, it got stuck.

He had a few flings still (pleasure secondary), but after he returned home and met his daughter (for the first time since her birth), he started cringing whenever I directed him to romance his dates. It felt like he had grown as a person, and I loved it!

TL;DR: Randomly change your sims' original aspiration/s to give them interesting character arcs! First Expansion/Game Pack/Stuff Pack? I mean, not my decision, but our first TS1 EP was Hot Date. I'm pretty sure I got TS2 EPs/SPs in order of release (miss those days of unwrapping a new one every birthday/christmas!).

Do you pronounce live mode like aLIVE or LIVing? We're LIVE, baby! 🎥

Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? I don't usually get very attached to my first-generation sims, but maybe Evonne Milos, from the gameplay/story hood I accidentally destroyed in four days? Never actually played her, but I had a lot of ideas for a corrupt 'sexpot' politician. x)

Have you made a simself? Lots! 99% of the fun I had playing TS2 as a kid was me and my best friend making ourselves and our respective crushes of the week, and we'd always live in one of those Veronaville lots that was two houses connected by a balcony. I can't even tell you the amount of times she got me pregnant against my wishes whilst I went to the bathroom, lmao.

Which is your favorite EA hair color? For colour consistency, probably brown? But there are a lot of brunettes in Brunwick (must be the name!), so I enjoy the recessives popping up in gameplay. :)

Favorite EA hair? Does an EA download count? Jeanette is lovely.

Favorite life stage? Ohhh dude, that's so difficult to answer. They all bring different challenges and dynamics to the household! I feel like I've started to appreciate the child lifestage more since Brunwick has grown large enough to have multiple friendship groups. It's fun watching them goof around with each other and be actual kids, instead of sitting indoors skilling. I really need to build a park! :)

Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay?

Are you a CC creator? Yes, I really love how this game has led me to so many creative hobbies! Would like to tackle BHAVs one day. :)

Do you have any Simblr friends or a Sim Squad? Yeah! I consider us all friends over our shared enjoyment of the game really, but as a chronic lurker I'm not the best at cultivating connections. x) Does anyone wanna make a secret club? xD

Do you have any sims merch? No, but I do have a bunch of rad sims memories. 👉😎👉

Do you have a YouTube for sims? Nope, but I watched plenty of sim music videos back in the day! Found a lot of songs that way. :) Some formative memories here: One / Two

How has your “Sims style” changed throughout your years of playing? I sadly don't have screenshots of my oldest saves thanks to a combo of no external HD and no screenshot program, but here's one example:

But gameplay-wise, a lot! My early years were probably based around creating stories more than actively playing, but when I did I would just emulate perfect families, attempt legacies, and restart BG hoods over and over. x)

Now I'm all about wants-based gameplay; witnessing and interpreting a story, as opposed to creating one from scratch. But I will add drama if I find my interest waning! x)

Who’s your favorite CC creator? Again, super-duper impossible to answer because everyone's CC makes the game fun, but my most recent CC shopping spree was Honeywell and HugeLunatic! :) 🛒

How long have you had Simblr? Technically 2011, officially 2013, but if we're being pedantic, I finally made a dedicated Simblr (this) in 2016. x)

How do you edit your pictures? These days, just sharpen and shrink! CC previews aren't too complicated either- a blurred out screenshot for the BG and a shadow.

What expansion/gamepack is your favorite? Ooh… maybe Nightlife, by a smidgen? I feel like it gave us a lot of new features and items, and the subhood was nice (as a non-builder at the time!).

Tagging: @daman19942 @aondaneedles @eulaliasims @profesionalpartyguest @tvickiesims @and everyone else, I love reading these! :D