#i like the tapestries they were super fun

[loriache]

Ambush

[grimmjowjaegerjaquez]

if i was someone with any kind of consistency i couldve been known for ach'm. my stupid sexy frog man. (who is also a cyborg)

[skylarkspinner]

fiber art adventures in egypt

I recently got back from a trip to Egypt & finally got around to organizing some pictures to share. One of the things I was most excited about was seeing what I could find on fiber arts and textiles.

Dropping everything under a read more, 'cause this will be a long post haha

first visit: the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC)

At the time of visiting, they had a special textiles exhibit. It covered Pharonic Egypt all the way up to modern times, although I only had time to check out the dynastic & a bit of the Coptic portion of the exhibit (which was what I was really hoping to see anyways)

Was super excited to see this diorama in person. I knew about it but had never seen good pictures of it. From the little I've seen of ancient Egyptian spinning, spinning with two spindles seems to be the norm rather than a master technique? It also shows up in tomb art, which the exhibit also shared:

They also used a different fiber preparation (splicing to create a rove of fiber, no traditional drafting to my understanding) so that probably made a difference? Regardless I really want to see if I can replicate the technique, especially because their spindles look so similar to modern spindles??

I took so many pictures of spindles, guys, and I fully intend to either have a few replicas made or to learn to make some myself. Also, although they were unlabeled... I'm pretty sure those are beaters for weaving? That was a bit of a trend with this trip, so much stuff was unlabeled :( I would've killed to at least get some date estimates for some of the stuff they had on display. I was nerding out in here though, and my family took a few pictures of how excited I was getting. A bit embarrassing, but eh haha

The exhibit also had a section on natural dyes used with a fun visual;

There was several diagrams specifically describing each dye source, but in the interest of not overloading on pictures I'll just list them out. For blues; woad, Yellows; turmeric, safflower, saffron, or yellow ochre; reds; madder, henna, pomegranate, and kermes. I originally thought kermes was another way to say cochineal, but it only seems to be distantly related.

next visit: Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Center

A small art center dedicated to hand-weaving wool and cotton tapestries. All of their work was museum quality & awe inspiring!!

Was even invited to their back rooms to watch a few of their weavers working; no I don't have room to put a room-sized loom anywhere but heck do I want one now

Our guide that took us through talked a bit about the natural dyes they use (all of their dyes are dyed in house with what they grow in their dye garden!!!) and got excited to hear I was also interested in natural dyes! He seemed a bit disappointed I'd never worked with indigo and. while indigo scares me, I'll take it as a sign that maybe I should try some time this year haha.

final visit; the Egyptian Museum

we really had to rush through this one which was a huge shame because it's packed full of artifacts. Also, the lighting in there is atrocious, so apologies for the not great pictures ahead.

They had a fascinating display of textile tools, more than what the NMEC had;

(Hand for size reference) I want all of these spindles! So badly! But a few of them look so much like a few of the spindles I own already?? A few of them had a spiraling notch, that's so cool? But also, what's going on with the one with two whorls? I have no idea. I'm fascinated.

Look at these whorls!! Although again, I'm a bit confused; the lack of labeling strikes again. Unsure why some of these "whorls" have two holes, or what the metal object with the wooden handle is. The display implies sewing needles, and some of them do look like it, but others.... really don't look like sewing needles. I'm absolutely enchanted by this little whorl though. I think it has birds on it?

More objects that I'm baffled by- the signage doesn't really indicate what some of this stuff is, if it's even known. Also confused by the object wrapped in white string in the right pic; it looks like a distaff but to the best of my knowledge the (ancient at least) Egyptians didn't use distaffs. It probably popped up in later times and was put in this display since it was still relevant, but I'm still not sure.

I have so many more pictures & thoughts but I'll save those for more specific future projects. I've been doing research outside this trip on ancient Egyptian spinning techniques and desperately want to go deeper into that, this trip just solidified how excited it makes me. If you made it all the way through this, many thanks for reading!

Bonus; look at this ancient linen 🥺

[matt0044]

The Miraculous Fandom really seems to lack imagination.

I found a video essay calling Lila aimless as a villain but like… maybe they’re going to reveal what her game in Season 6 will be.

Maybe she wants the world kissing her foot?

Maybe she wants to stop living lies and have the perfect life.

Maybe she wants all her lies to be true and have an extraordinary life?

Dunno but it’s fun to speculate.

And I refer to CinemaSins because a common facet of their “critiques” are just questioning things that either are on a need to know basis exposition wise orrrrrr didn’t need much explanation aside from, say, magic exists.

There’s also an unwillingness to look at something for what it is and analyze it appropriately but rather lambast it for something it isn’t.

So many are hung up on being blue balled by a Chloe’s would’ve been redemption arc yet and deeper look into her doubling down on being nasty as well as how she’s an example of some people choosing not to be helped or sabotaging her efforts to turn herself around.

How she demonstrates the banality of evil and, while not super riveting, is a story that feeds into the themes of the masks we wear and what persona we put on.

Adrien wasn’t there to see Gabriel off but how might that serve the story in Season 6 since Lila knows how his father truly died yet so many act like the show’s over. Frankly, they were very economical with this story and made a good call to not overload the Season 5 finale's storyline with something so loaded like Adrien learning true origins.

Imagine how Season 6 and 7 may contend with this, especially when Lila likely knows. She couldn't have asked for a better weapon against Ladybug. And Marinette will have the truth weighing on her mind in lying not just to Chat Noir but also Adrien.

So many claim that the story and plot never process but Season 4 and five have virtually no filler with at least ONE episode having something going on that affects the wider tapestry of the slowburn story.

For god’s sake, guys, can we balance what we what with what the show chooses for itself? People are still uppity about Migration despite Luka coming back under Su-Han’s tutalege. Him knowing how to ward off Akumas sure will come in handy.

[beefscrap]

Another OC + the gang request

His name is Psilo, he’s a mind reader, except instead of reading minds, he can hear the sounds mushrooms make. He attends the same academy that the gang go to, and he is essentially the “hippie” of the class, he’s super chill, using his green thumb to grow different mushrooms and plants, and he believes that partaking in calm activities such as meditating, gardening, basket weaving, painting, and necklace making can help a dragon “open their chakras” so to speak. He also sculpts and fires clay smoking pipes for dragons if they so wish to, and he grows a kind of herb that helps him calm his mind/nerves. He has all sorts of silk dyed tapestries in his room that he tie dyes, makes his own incense, and holds yoga sessions every other day.

I’m BEGGING you BEGGING you to tell me you made a ‘fan’ oc for my AU. I’ll explode because that would mean I officially achieved two fan ocs for my au. Oh my god I’d feel like I won a million dollars

(TOTALLY FINE if he isn’t but I’m making sure just in case.. If it’s just an oc you’ve used in several places THATS FINE and I still loved this)

Anywaysssc this is just awesome. We need a dragon like Psilo in the gang. Fun fact: when their personalities were already all set in stone i realized there was extra negativity than I wanted/expected. I learned to go out of my way to make lighthearted moments. Especially with humor since I didn’t want a lotta cynical comedy

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 6/11/2024

sibling visit!!!!!!!!! but who cares about that my cats finally greeted each other calmly and politely!!!!!!!!

listening

WET DREAM by SNOW WIFE, off one of my sister's playlists. i have since added it to my playlist titled "SOMEBODY COME FUCK THIS (GAY)". sounds like early kesha?

-

reading

oh right i read a brace of temeraire books last week. we're in australia now. excited to see what sort of bullshit we get up to. i do really love these books and am astonished at home much they Feel like period-typical books, but i am too busy going :D :D :D while reading to have tuesdaypost thoughts about them

-

watching

thank you @rae-being-naughty for this rec bc i inhaled A Murder At The End Of The World in one evening. limited series on hulu that is set in Legally Not Elon Musk's Compound with Legally Not Elon Musk.

"A Murder at the End of the World" is a mystery series with a new kind of detective at the helm -- a Gen Z amateur sleuth and tech-savvy hacker named Darby Hart. In the new limited series, Darby and eight other guests are invited by a reclusive billionaire to participate in a retreat at a remote and dazzling location. When one of the other guests is found dead, Darby must put to use all of her combined skills to prove it was in fact murder, all against a tide of competing interests and before the killer takes another life.

oh my godddddd do i love a horrible little woman. sopping wet cat pathetic fuckup of a woman. enormous friends at the table clementine kesh vibes here but slightly lesss malicious. now! normally i am a girl's girl. i love women. but my god did darby royally fuck up her former lover.

one of the better hetero-appearing romances ive ever seen-- we fall in love with bill just as much as darby did, and his death drives the show in a way a fridged wife would in a different show.

i like how it is not a show About hacking, and darby became a hacker somewhat incidentally bc she needed to hack to get what she wanted. super tense, beautifully shot, balances current-day and flashbacks well, the twist is honestly bonkers but it is a very fair mystery.

-

playing

got clorinde :) now i have to collect one billion starfish to level her up :(

her story quest was so cute! a really fun visual novel take on ttrpgs/larping! everyone got little character art! i like her more uniform-braid-style outfit in the character art more than her actual outfit but oh well. im sure they'll release that one as an alt outfit at some point

also pulled dehya! pyro claymore wielder! goodbye diluc u were a mainstay on my team for a year but there's a hot girl who fills your same niche now

-

making

my sister was here so a lot of sibling bonding (going to lesbian bars, moving furniture up my horrible stairs, art museums, weeping over impossibly well tended five hundred year old tapestries and carpets, etc). i had an Excellent slice of key lime pie cheesecake at House of Pies-- i do not typically enjoy cheesecake, i feel like it's often too rich and leaves a weird coating on my tongue. alarmingly green but the tartness offset the cheesecake in a very pleasing way.

look at my new desk's woodgrain again

[crazylittlejester]

Another hc that I have for wars is that his adventure is what caused the timelines to crash and merge eventually.

Due to what his quest was like, his timeline became so unstable that it crashed into the other timelines, making them really unstable, too. So, the timelines were about to stop existing when the Zonai hero came down and merged the timelines to make it not crash anymore. The Zonai hero was also likely the first Zonai to get down from the sky.

And if you want to be real fun with it, you could make warriors the ancestor of the ancient hero from botw (the one from the tapestry) that made the divine beasts to fight against the calamity.

I imagine that if wars would meet that guy, the guy could basically be his dad. He likely just got his first grandchild, too.

i’ve heard sooo many versions of this headcanon but none so far have included the zonai hero, this is really cool! he’s so very interesting to me i wish nintendo gave us more about him

my take is that the war of eras is what merged the timelines together, but i can imagine it might also make the timelines super unstable, bringing so many people from different times together to one place

[usernamesuggestionsarefunny]

Wish spoilers ahead.

The start of Wish is exactly like that of Encanto but without all the heart. It is literally the meme of "Can I copy your homework?" "Yeah but change a few things so it is not too obvious."

Also Asha deserved a pretty dress in the end like wth are you going to sell to little girls Disney you are all about money and you failed miserably even at that.

And it is for real soooo unfair how the queen did get a pretty dress the whole movie and Asha only got some lazy ass sparkles added to her boring ass dress.

Asha... not bad, ok, but she is copy paste Anna, Mirabel, and Rapunzel. Youtuber ModernGurlz is right about Disney's "adorkable" problem. All their main girls since Rapunzel have the same "quirky" personality save a few details. I have liked them all but it is getting boring. Give me a princess with a monotone, sad personality, give me a shy princess who only smiles and talks around close friends, give me back the classic super girly personality Aurora and Snow White style, give me an angry girl with a brutal sense of humor like Merida. Be creative, please!!!

I love the queen's design, super gorgeous. Too bad her character added nothing. Her help was barely needed since Asha's friend had already sneaked them into the castle and it was her who deciphered the king's magic. A super villain couple would have been way more fun.

Oh, yeah, Asha's friends. There were so-damn-many of them and only like 3 were rememberable or needed for the story.

The villain is a complicated issue. I appreciated Disney's attempt at another fully evil character, I liked how he wasn't yet another badly set up "twist villain" revealed only at the end. But I didn't like the end result that much.

His backstory was super underdeveloped and to "get" his motives better, if they really wanted to make him evil-yet-complex, they should have shown us a flashback of him losing his family Encanto style (They copy pasted the start might as well do the same with the antagonist backstory.

What the hell was the missing piece of tapestry for if it wasn't going to have any significance later on? Did the writers just forget or what even?

Worst part for me: The stakes were low as fuck. Disney doesn't respect its target audience, nowadays it thinks that children can't handle anything worse than a main character getting disappointed. The worst this "super evil" villain does is make people sad temporarily, for like two minutes (Kid you not), like one character stays sad for longer but MOST people in the kingdom seem happy and normal after giving up their wishes, he legit just makes people sad a few minutes (Again, I kid you not, no one dies, the wishes he "eats" to make himself stronger come back, nothing he does has a permanent, devastating effect, he is not even revealed to have killed Asha's father in a dramatic way or something). Yeah he makes people forget their wishes which is pretty sketchy but up to that point he seemed to have complex reasons for that, reasons that seem to disappear or have never even been there the second half of the movie when he magically becomes more evil due to a forbidden green spooky magic he uses, and then suddenly he becomes Maleficent (The cool, perfect villain version, not the woobie one) style evil in a very, very rushed and over the top way. I feel like he should have started up as fully evil with no backstory (Just a simple, Gaston or original Maleficent style, self centered guy, who wants more and more power and adoration), and simply gotten worse and stronger OR given more complexity as to why he became that way, but instead we got this weird thing in between where it is clear he just wants power and love from the people for the sake of it and yet he has this half-made sob story on how his family died.

There was a great lack of originality in this movie at the climax as well. Anyone watched "The little mermaid II"? That was pretty much it. Villain gets power boner, says he will enslave everyone (Worst thing he does in whole movie and yet no one trying to defy him dies at least off screen or gets hurt in any meaningful way). Then heroine saves the day.

The funniest part of this movie is that the villain's fate is worse than anything he ever did in the movie I swear. He gets trapped in a freaking mirror and then locked up in a cell (Similar to the Little mermaid II villain's end too lol). That is straight up torture till death, it is so fucked up. And his wife who literally sees how the green spooky magic is the main thing responsible for his bad day (If we are being honest that is all it was, other than the taking wishes part he seemed to be a good king) leaves him to rot and becomes queen Catherine II style, it is hilarious. Like girl, you turned against your husband like five minutes ago because apparently through decades of seemingly loving marriage, you never knew he was evil but now somehow you are ok with him rotting in solitary confinement till the end of time? So dorky and silly. So bad, so bad.

Lastly, that goat was annoying as hell.

[rwrbficrecs]

May Faves

I’m finally here with the first instalment of Monthly Favourites 🥳 

This is going to be a Monthly post I’ll be doing with a round up of my favourite fics I’ve read the past month. I’ve picked a few to write longer thoughts on, and will add smaller thoughts for the rest. If I did long reviews for every fic, I don’t think I could keep up with this every month, but rest assured I loved every fic mentioned in this post!! Majority will be completed fics but there is a “WIP” section as well 😊

Happy reading, & if you enjoy this sort of content please let me know! 🥰

Let Loose Your Glow by @athousandrooms I’ve been following along with this fic during its WIP stage and it was completed recently! So of course I had to binge the whole thing and it was so worth the wait. It’s a fake dating fic that is SO soft!! Alex & Henry are so sweet in this fic and the slow burn is so !!! ahh no words but honestly this is one of those fics you can reread again and again and still feel all the feels over and over. Such a beautifully written fic!!

All the Old Showstoppers by @cha-melodius I’ve never watched any of the “Bake Off” shows (so I think any references went right over my head) BUT I enjoyed this fic so much regardless of my lack of “Bake Off” viewing. I loved reading about Henry and Alex’s journey as contestants on the show, but what was even more delightful was the growing feelings between them!! Also the ✨seductive spoon licking✨

i wake with your memory over me (that's a real fucking legacy) by @coffeecatsme Alex is Henry’s ski instructor in this fic - and from the get go I loved their interactions with each other! I also really loved the brother-sister dynamic between Henry and Bea in this!! 

YourMusicSucksAndYouLookLikeADickhead by @cloudywilmon Alex & Henry as neighbours is always such a fun time and this fic is no exception. It’s a super funny fic, and I especially love how Nora is written in this as well!

Count The Stars And Constellations by @everwitch-magiks Ohh my gosh, I loved this fic so much that I reread it about 3 times last month. I went through a rollercoaster of emotions reading this fic (excitement? frustration? Is heart-eyes an emotion? Cause that’s the only way to describe how I felt at the ending). Seriously read this beautiful fic 🥺

a rich and complex tapestry by @everwitch-magiks I feel like I could just repeat the review I wrote for everwitch’s other fic and it would still all apply for this one too. I was yet again going completely heart-eyed at the ending of this fic. I have no words to describe how much I loved this one?!

all's well that ends well to end up with you by @evanbuvkley This is such a sweet fic!! Alex accidentally kisses Henry and I love how things just spiral from there!!! Just go read it, you’ll love it I promise. 

Paint Stain Smiles by schmulte I loved the way Alex & Henry’s friendship develops in this fic (and of course the way the romance happens!!). The nude modelling is a lovely bonus. 

i just think about you all the time by @livinginrhythm Omg I just … loved everything about this fic? Alex is Catherine’s equerry which made me so intrigued at how things were going to turn out and the ending definitely had me screaming from the feels! 

✨More Faves✨

A little off the top by @clottedcreamfudge A hilarious misunderstanding!

bend the rules by @tedddylupin Blossoming romance during Covid Lockdown? Yes please

catch my breath to breathe your name by @jamespttr Really loved this fic - really wanted to shake some sense into Henry in this one!! 

Cognac and Malaise by M0ssPiglet Pez and Henry’s friendship here - loved it so much!

he got my heartbeat skipping down 16th avenue by @evanbuvkley Really sweet!! Also love that the rest of the Super Six feature 

(la)cross(e) my heart by weather_stained I found this fic so funny and Alex is perfectly written in this!!

like i'm the stranger here. by @chaa-kiao Love coworker AUs! The boys are very sweet in this - but also the angst!!! 

✨WIP✨

Cabin Fever by selkies_and_stars I love a fake dating fic!! Even better when they’re fake dating on a cruise ship (plus they’re also roommates AND there’s bed sharing). Their pining for each other had me wanting to shake them both.

for you alone by fel24601 Ok I LOVE this fic. I love how Henry and Alex’s relationship develops, I love how fluffy this fic is, I loved the smut, just everything about this fic is so lovely. It hasn’t been updated in a year BUT even in its unfinished state I found it very satisfying as it is. Even if it never gets finished I would reread it over and over!! Such a beautifully written fic - go give it some love. 

Ghosted by @cockleshells I really love the plot of this fic - it’s so different and definitely such an intriguing concept. Don’t be put off by the “Major Character Death” tag (and I say this as someone who avoids that tag like the plague) I’ve ignored it in this case because the author also tags “i can at least promise you guys a happy ending” so that’s defs been enough to assuage my fears. It’s an amazing fic so far, so give it a read!!

Never a Guarantee by @clottedcreamfudge If you haven’t already been following this fic - what are you doing!! Loving everything about this fic - it definitely gets you hooked straight away. The slow burn killed me in the best way 😩

That’s a wrap!! Stay tuned in early July for June Faves!

[jerreeeeeee]

i read the eleventh hour graphic novel, here's some praises and criticisms. unfortunately it’s mostly negative, but i did truly try to give it a fair shake and have an open mind

things i liked:

-prelude with jack and june and mysterious red robe was a good addition, it's intriguing, it fills out the world, it introduces jack and june in a fitting way (sidenote to that, why does jack look more like magnus than magnus does)

-ANGUS hi angus :) whatever else in the gns i bitch about know that angus is perfect

-having the lunar interludes be little moments of memory as they’re dying was a cool and clever way to include them

-time stamps are super helpful, i remember the podcast always got a little messy and confusing with the timeline of the hour to me at least

-REN hi ren :) her design isn’t like awesome or anything she also kinda suffers from ugly blue blonde elf syndrome (or purple and whitehaired i guess. although she’s a drow so it makes more sense) but i am glad they made her fat

-getting rid of the diamond stuff was a great way to cut down on noncritical runtime. even in the podcast it was very clearly just a way to get thb to go to different places and stuff, which is appropriate in a dnd actual play but not so much in a graphic novel. having the prophecies fall according to istus’ whim is also much more thematically relevant and introduces istus earlier than like.. right before she shows up. good decision all around

-really glad they kept most of the verbatim wording of lucretia’s admission to merle about her choices and the loss of her dear friends, and while i don’t hate the way merle responds, i do kinda miss “you do have faith, it’s faith in you.” going further in on merle’s insecurities and doubts is great but i also love the way in the podcast he was so reassuring to lucretia and she felt like she could confide in him and receive wisdom. and also pointing out that lucretia does have a really strong faith and conviction and commitment to doing what she thinks is right. determination and reliance on herself are big traits of hers, for better or worse, and i really liked that line

-i enjoyed the extended istus scene where she explains what she does a little more but is still very vague and mystical and deific. and her saying that in this world the force of fate is less laying things out in a predetermined exacting pattern, and more making a pattern and story out of events as they happen and as they are about to happen. she’s a chronicler of sorts. she’s continually weaving the tapestry. nice little bit of expansion on that idea and her role thematically. also istus sorta resembles lucretia facially, which i’m not sure if its intentional or just the similar face syndrome the whole thing suffers from and the fact that carey sometimes struggles to draw people of color (<- she's gotten much better at it, to her credit, angus and kravitz both look very good). if it is intentional it’s a nice touch

-changing merle’s regret to be leaving his family. obvious choice but a very critical one. the reason adaptations have their advantages. merle’s kids were presumably not even thought up yet by this point in the story in the podcast, but of course it makes so much more sense to bring them in here

-taako remembering that magnus asked after julia in crystal kingdom is cute. he cares about his friends :)

-in general: the environment design, colors, and panelling is consistently good. no problems there, refuge looks very nice.

things i didn’t like:

-got rid of the line where taako says its probably better for boyland’s family not to remember that they lost him. it’s a tiny thing and more or less inconsequential but it hits me like a truck whenever i relisten to the podcast

-taako’s outfit is ugly sorry. he’s always ugly and his color palette is awful but this one was especially egregious to me idk. eleventh hour should’ve had fun outfits that look good. magnus’ and merle’s aren’t terrible but they’re kinda cluttered and uninteresting. not as bad as taako still. the skirt looks weirdly thick? i guess i can’t talk cause i’m terrible at drawing skirts too but idk it almost looks like winter clothes to me, weird and out of place. also stop giving him heels just because he’s gay. weird choices all around. i don’t like it. i don’t like blue taako. in fact i hate his ugly ass. had to be said so i can ignore it for the rest of this post

-roswell doesn’t look as cool as they could but the bird is cute

-taako doesn’t tell angus about glamor springs!! that sucks!! that was an important moment of vulnerability and connection between his past and present relationships with his apprentices!! i know they want to keep the reveal of the poison further in the book with only vague reference/foreshadowing beforehand but. idk i hate that taako’s moment of honesty with angus is gone i feel like that was important to that arc

-i know “something about the dying feels familiar” doesn’t really work since its narration but they could’ve like. asked each other if they were ok or something and worked that into the dialogue or had it be a thought bubble or something. eleventh hour is so huge for themes and foreshadowing etc and i feel like they just blew right past that. what’s the point of the time loop and the deaths if you aren’t examining the consequences at all. also skipping over so many of the loops for time and just showing a bunch of them in a montage makes sense for the format but it also gets rid of the futility and exhaustion that the time loop is like… literally meant to engender. i don’t know what the fix here is but something’s been lost.

-NOT a real or valid criticism since there’s literally no way to do it in a visual format but so much is lost from paloma’s character without her batshit bjork accent i miss her

-sad that luca and redmond were cut, i don’t think they were like, super important, but it didn’t make a whole lot of sense for it to be ren instead? i liked luca i thought he was fun i like seeing religious characters in dnd worlds and the moment of him and redmond raising the temple is more cinematic and gives weight to the threat of the time loop, that if they don’t do it in time they have to start all over, and gives the temple a sense of respite and divinity in its place frozen in time. more than magnus just sprinting away to unlock it with a random key after the others already died. also it’s very much… barebones hehehe… but rip the like smidgen of foreshadowing with pairs of siblings where one of them is a skeleton in a cave lol. i don’t think this was a bad decision per se i understand why they did it but still a little sad

-junebug scene sucked. too rushed in the monologue, no sense of stakes or urgency as taako’s reading the diary, immediately cut away before roswell could even react?

-pacing is a huge problem in general for this book and i’ll wager to guess it’ll be a problem in the suffering game too. i know seven is a nice and thematically significant number of books to have but they really should’ve split at least this arc and the remaining arcs into 2 books. spells disaster for stolen century and story and song all being in one book

-“patience is not one of my strong suits” fuck off actually. taako is canonically a great teacher and also fishes as a hobby, the two things that require the most patience in the world. he hangs back and waits, he’s specifically not the impulsive impatient one. maybe this is nitpicking but i don’t care. these little mischaracterizations, especially ones influenced by common fandom mischaracterizations, are small on their own but pretty prevalent, and they piss me off. the graphic novels want tres horny boys to be stupid and immature and one dimensional for laffs sooo bad but you can’t have them be like that all the time or the impactful moments just fall through because they’re unearned!! you have to strike a balance!!

-why was merle given the chance to decide whether to stay in the final hunger battle as his gift?? taako was the only one who even considered taking it??

-why is sazed’s name changed? philippe?? is the name sazed trademarked??? kind of annoying

-changing the convo to be instead of taako rudely shutting down sazed’s presumptuous ambitions, to just be him being cruel for no reason to ‘the help,’ i don’t like that. don’t get me wrong taako was an asshole, i want him to be an asshole in this scene, but like, he doesn’t wield an employer’s power over sazed because he’s a snobby brat who relishes stomping on those below him, ‘the help,’ it’s because he’s unused to being on the advantaged side of a power dynamic and, more crucially, allows himself to be closed off and selfish regardless of the harm it causes to others. you know, the character flaw we see him struggle with in the canon era and as far back as the stolen century. he’s not a fucking aristocrat who thinks servants are inferior. idk i think sazed is quite important to taako’s arc, actually, so changing it like this is not welcome for me. especially in conjunction with the fact that angus was so distanced from the reveal of that part of the backstory, and taako making the same mistake by lying to ren to take advantage of her adoration (and subsequently apologizing and bettering himself) was cut out entirely, etc, etc… like what’s even the point now honestly.

-WAIT OK I READ FURTHER ITS EVEN WORSE. it almost seems like taako already knew sazed was responsible?? where is the guilt?? where is the relief at it not being his fault?? the lingering guilt that even though he didn’t poison them he still feels like he drove sazed to?? come the fuck onnn i know we’re dumbing down their arcs and their characters but that sucks so bad like Literally what is the point of showing us this if it doesn’t actually matter and results in no consequences or growth or story at all

-“if you wanted me to blame myself for their deaths you should have gotten to me before my therapist” WHAT DO YOU MEANNN so we’re just gonna have all character development happen offscreen?? what the FUCK. is the therapist thing a joke? is it serious? neither makes any sense?? why did he struggle with and come to terms with this traumatic event and major part of his arc completely OFFSCREEN I FEEL INSANE. i was afraid i was unfairly judging the graphic novels because i think the character design is bad but it turns out the writing is too. what have they done to my fucking boy. should i even bother to keep reading.

-

i did finish the book. all in all, the things i liked were mostly obvious choices for an adaptation to make, and the things i disliked were major fumbles in narrative and themes.

i’ve seen a lot of people say, “well, it’s a different story, you can’t compare it to the original and not appreciate it on its own, it’s its own thing.” first of all, it’s not its own thing, its an adaptation, of course you can compare it to the original, that’s how adaptations work. and second of all, i can’t appreciate it on its own, because without the podcast for context, it wouldn’t make any fuckin sense! it’s poorly written in general but it especially expects the reader to have a familiarity with the original story. and with the podcast for context, i’m consistently disappointed, because it’s just a worse, more simplistic, less impactful rehashing of the story that takes all my favorite characters and moments and renders them shallower.

so all in all, i remain unchanged in my opinion: the graphic novels are not good. they are, in fact, bad.

[charmwasjess]

Super fun weekend at the music festival despite the 100F degree heat!

Traveling the first half of this month, I really missed my friends, and it was incredibly good to have the grimy intimacy of camping together at a 5K person festival: stacked together in a too-small tent, feeding each other sips of beer and water, hands to hold on the way home from the dancing.

The best music I heard was Tall Tall Trees which is a one man psychedelic banjo act (I know but seriously it was amazing) The best thing I ate was this steak my friend cooked on a camp stove - I don't even really like steak, but he's one of those people who make an artistry out of cooking it. The best thing I drank was a really tart, really super cold blackberry cider. My favorite thing was probably our little space: it was less attended than in years past so we were able to spread out with a few canopies and made a beautiful little camp for ourselves with rugs and tapestries and flowers from my garden.

[thesleepyskipper]

This or That: RWRB Edition

First of all, a massive thank you to @myheartalivewrites for creating this super fun game!

And also a huge thank you to everyone who tagged me today in it, I appreciate all of you so much! ❤️❤️❤️ I'm currently on a three week long road trip and it makes me smile whenever I see a notification from a friend pop up!

@myheartalivewrites, @kiwiana-writes, @henryspearl, @anti-homophobia-cheese, @cha-melodius

@orchidscript, @taste-thewaste, @fullsunsets, @hgejfmw-hgejhsf, @judasofsuburbia,

@rmd-writes, @blueeyedgrlwrites, @noahreids

(And @alasse9 I think we were typing at the same time! 😂)

The rules: I’ll list two things and you pick your favourite and bold it. Or pick both of you can't choose, I’m not your mum. And then tag some friends to join in if you like.

Here we go:

// Cakegate or the Great Turkey Calamity // Red Room or tack room // strumpet or biscuit // Don’t Stop Me Now or Your Song // Yes, good, carry on or We all must learn and grow // Prince Buttercup or Hoe Dameron // Henry runs on NYE or Henry runs from the lake house // I am very, very gay or Bisexuality truly is a rich and complex tapestry // fire under your ass for no good goddamn reason or bottom of the pie crust chat // baby or sweetheart // The whole bloody time or set me on fire // Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi // AN INCOMPLETE LIST or your body comes back to me in dreams // burgundy velvet suit or midnight-blue bomber jacket // bad metaphors about maps or hometown stuff // obtuse fucking asshole or then fucking have me // America: He is my choice or Never tell me the odds // sería una mentira porque no sería él or history, huh? // I’m never gonna love anybody in the world like I love you or I love him on purpose //

If you do this please use the 'this or that: rwrb edition' tag below or tag @myheartalivewrites, because she wants to see it making the rounds!

It's almost midnight so leaving an open tag since so many friends already played! But if you haven't yet given this a go, please consider this your chance! And please tag me so I can see your responses! ❤️

[cynical-tuba]

VTM Dark Ages mini session, Leo asked Edmund his Sire how he himself would be able to pay for a woman's education while keeping her out of Cainite business. Leo this is the year 1349 but Kine aren't that advanced for women's rights. Damn ok dad I'll give it some thought.

I tried to keep this short but I want to explain the set up of a morally questionable old man and a stoat tailed Caitiff

Then Bishop Lasombra Michel was like come on Emir let's go to Cowley. Emir invites Leo without mentioning he's bringing the Lasombra without a creepy bone in his body. Surprise Leo. But he said he'd meet us there.

The pair arrive at the cathedral to see Saffiyah, Emirs adopted Gangrel daughter, and a Leo's sister figure, covered in blood, half transformed from killing *dozens* of inquisition members. She's broken, this didn't feel right. Emir comforts her in light of her killings. Michel steps out of the Cathedral very serenely and leads Emir and Leo inside.

There are more bodies in here of all men whose robes were once white stained in blood. The three come across tapestries. A Nosferatu is being defeated by a man. A Lupine has had it's head torn off, St George stabbing a dragon, and lastly a woman bound being burned at the stake. Emir sees these people as reminders of his guilt. The figures in the fabric crawl out at him, staring, trying to break out of the threads.

The three continue onwards behind a door where they encounter a holy man. Leo who has Aura perception active, sees the halo around him, he's awestruck by this and isn't sure how to react as the man lunges at Emir slicing his throat. Michel's shadowy tendrils envelope him, burning as they restrain him. The tentacles trigger Leo's Derangement phobia of the dark and he fear frenzies out of the church.

Emir grabs the man, fueled by Anger and Brutal ecstasy he uses cobble to road to drain the man's courage as he's crushed to death and shredded by the abyssal tendrils.

Leo meanwhile stops his frenzy as he hits the cold air. He has realized he has grown a stoat tail. He keeps this hidden under his robes and long winter cloak. (Home brew rule as Leo as a result of a double embrace with Edmund the Ventrue and Tertius the Gangrel he has a lesser degree of both clans flaws. For Leo the animal feature he gets in frenzy is random)

There stands a concerned Saffiyah and her friend Wei Tian the Watcher Salubri who came just in time to the scene. Emir and Michel come out. The five of them descend back in walking over piles of bodies, and enter a basement where they had kept tortured Super natural people. The Cainites are staked.

Among them is Hilda, a Nosferatu librarian of Oxford. Leo tries to pick her up, and due to a botch in the dice pool of 1... He sways and his tail is shown to the room... He's supposed to be posing as a Ventrue. Now the elder Lasombra has seen his tail that's it.

Most people in the room are concerned with getting Hilda back to town. This would be a horrible place for her to wake up in. Saffiyah, the strongest, carries her. Michel tries to get Saffiyah to stay with him. but he's more useful to carry Hilda. Also she doesn't want to, there's some complicated backstory dynamics I'm breezing over but he's controlling of her. Michel wants them to bring the stakes Nosferatu to his haven.

But Leo volunteers to stay with Michel in her place, assuring Emir he will see him later.

Michel and Leo begin to walk around the cathedral and it's depths for any hiding survivors or artefacts. Michel asks Leo what power he could have. Leo, teetering on the line of survival mode/appropriate/ Sincere says Flute. He was never good with wood wind instruments after all. Michel finds that to be a bit silly, digs deeper. Leo says flying could be fun,

Michel suggests Vissistude, like Kresimir the Tzimisce.

--------

Michel: if you could learn any skill you wouldn't learn what Kresimir could do with his hands?

Leo: the flesh crafting? Oh and the other thing he does.

Michel: oh no what is that

Leo:... The puzzle boxes?

Michel: *sigh*

-----

And Michel begins to asks Leo about the tail. What is it? Why does he have it? Interesting like a Gangrel feature Leo doesn't know what he's talking about. It's an accessory. (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠) He says as the tail nervously twitches. He tries to play stupid. This leads to this line of player dialogue

Me: he's going to yeet me into the abyss... I'm so dead.

@spell-fox : ಡ⁠ ͜⁠ ⁠ʖ⁠ ⁠ಡ

Me: wait. Wait no he's... OH HO HO YAAAAS

Michel is direct and wraps a shadow tentacle around his stoat tail. It feels soothing. Leo pulls it away, annoyed. (What a game) Michel gets closer, explaining the legend of Caitiff. The clanless. Have you heard of them Leo? No. They are said to be able to learn any skill with ease and foretell Gehenna. Anyone who believes in that legend would surely kill one. One should be careful. The two don't find any artefacts but we're sure found out about this old man. Before they parted here's another banger quote:

Michel: what an excellent horse

Leo: do you need assistance returning?

Michel: I have my ways. I could give you a ride Leo. (Ominus abyss implications)

Leo: no, I'm alright. I have rosemary. She's spiky. She bites if you stroke her the wrong way.

Michel: That's good, you don't want a pet that's too compliant you want a pet that fights back (◡⁠‿◡)

Why are Lasombra like this.

Meanwhile Emir takes Hilda to the library, a third faction in Oxford, Hilda's faction. They remove the stake and feed her. She has no idea what she's missed in the last year. Change in government, Horsa the previous baron is dead. Wei tian will fill her in. Emir takes his rat, his soul mate who originally was bonded to Hilda and returns her to her Nosferatu mom now they could be reunited. It made the entire room of players emotional.

Emir and Leo met up, discussed what happened and Emir admitted to draining their adversary of courage before he met his god. This disturbed Leo.

Leo went home showed his stoat tail to his (still) ghoul husband Godwin who pet it until he fell back asleep.

Emir and Tertius had a chat about the events. Leo has a cute tail and you missed it Tertius moods follow the moon. He has a new derangement because of killing Emirs sire of course.

Oh my god there's probably a million spelling and grammar errors I'll fix it later my stomach hurts

[hrodvitnon]

*Near the end of the mission- the Titans have pulled off the impossible. They found Gigan, Abraxas bested him in combat, got from him the necessary failsafe they knew he had, and now they were trying to escape. Unfortunately- one of the groups was trapped. Godzilla, Rodan, Abraxas, Barb, and Tiamat were stuck in a room that had caught fire- likely from one of Abraxas's lightning attacks. The door was blocked by debris from the other side- and Godzilla banged on the door to get it to open while the fires licked at their backsides.*

Rodan: We're all gonna die, we're all gonna die, we're all gonna die, we're all gonna die, we're all gonna die, we're all gonna die...

Godzilla, Abraxas, and Tiamat: WOULD YOU QUIT IT?!

Rodan: IT'S TRUE! THIS WAS AN AWFUL IDEA! WHY DID I LET MYSELF BE TALKED INTO THIS??? God I'll never get to see the Sun again- feel the wind rushing past me in flight- never *mate* with anyone again! This is the end...

Godzilla: STOP BEING A DRAMA QUEEN AND HELP ME ALREADY!

Rodan: It's curtain call- requiem's playing- fat lady singing... Quick- I gotta get some stuff off my chest, guys.

Tiamat: Fucks sake.

Rodan: Abraxas- Vivienne- San- whatever the fuck you go by- I love you. Despite all the snipping and teasing and rudeness- we go together great and I love being around you and I really really really wanted to have more time with you.

Rodan: Barb- I was just being an asshole when I called you a bug that one time. I'm sorry- you looked really sad when I said it and I felt like I couldn't say sorry because that would make my tough guy masquerade come crumbling down and everyone would see me for the glorified hatchling I was- putting up a front and deflecting everything with humor and wit so I didn't have to feel things.

Rodan: Tiamat- you don't deserve all the shit people say about you behind your back. Yeah, you're kind of a slut; but that's cool- y'know? You don't give a shit and I think that's really respectable and I wish I could be like you and not have such a fragile ego. You're also funny and fun to be around- and I feel like no one ever tells you that, y'know?

Rodan: And Godzilla- I've always sorta thought you were hot.

Godzilla: ...what-

Rodan: FUCK, your roar, your body, DID I MENTION HOW GOOD YOU LOOK IN THE PINK?? I got on your ass for it, I know, I'm sorry- but god, you look good. You're also just real quiet and sweet when you wanna be and super calm most of the time and JESUS CHRIST, YOUR VOICE-

Barb: Uh- Rodan?

Rodan: -I tell ya, if you ever showed interest I would've bent over. In. A. Heartbeat. But... I never knew how to tell you this. You're just really intimidating all the time and whenever I talk to you I feel like you tune me out and never really listen as you just have that stone-cold look all the time and y'know me: Rodan, King of The Skies who needs nobody but himself to keep him company. But you seem like a cool guy... and I wanted to be better friends with you before...

Mothra: What the fuck.

Rodan: what-

*The rubble had been cleared and the door was open. On the other side was Dagon, Shimo, Mothra, Behemoth, and Kong; and they were all staring at Rodan with agape maws- along with everyone else.*

Rodan: ...shit.

Mothra: Got one for me in there?

Rodan: You guys just leave me here- I'll be dying of-

Godzilla/Abraxas/Tiamat/Barb: Absolutely not!

*Godzilla grabs Rodan and throws him over his shoulder as the gang runs down the now open hall, reunited with their friends.*

Oh, Rodan, you drama queen.

Dagon: Honestly, this is going much better than I expected, but how did you get the fail safe from Gigan?

Abraxas: Classified.

*five minutes earlier*

Abraxas: Give me the fail safe or I'll never let you record me being carved open like a turkey again.

Gigan: Oh, sweetheart, you'll have to do better than that.

Abraxas:

Abraxas: Hey, you know all those grotesque leather family tree things you have hung up in that hallway, like Clive Barker Bayeux Tapestries From Hell? The ones your followers made out of their skin and gave to you as offerings that will be added to with every generation?

Gigan: ...you didn't.

Abraxas: I did.

Gigan: No.

Abraxas: It was easy.

Gigan: You MONSTER, THE AMOUNT OF HISTORY IN THOSE TAPESTRIES! THE BLOOD AND SWEAT AND TEARS THAT WENT INTO FLAYING AND TANNING THEM!

Abraxas: And now they're all tilted.

Gigan: THAT FUCKING HALLWAY IS GOING TO GIVE ME SUCH A GODDAMN HEADACHE, YOU CARRION SPAWN FROM THE DARKEST PIT OF EVIL!!

[i-smoke-chapstick]

AAA thank u for writing my request ♡ !! im rewatching workaholics so the brainrot is so real. could you please write anders x reader where he tries to seduce (se-ders) the reader ? ur choice either sfw or nsfw !! thanks in advance 😽

‘GORGEOUS,

-ANDERS HOLMVIK X READER-

⋆ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒 ; Anders Holmvik is horrible at flirting…but it somehow works.

⋆ tags/warnings. Anders Holmvik x female!reader! FLUFF!!!! Anon I am SALIVATING for workaholics requests please keep them coming!!! I LOVE this idea btw, (se-ders is incredibly accurate!!) Made this SFW since i was getting tired but anon PLEASE send in some more NSFW or SFW requests for the boys if you’re comfortable i feel like i’ve missed an opportunity to make this smutty >.<

♫ “You should take it as a compliment that I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk. / You’re so cool it makes me hate you so much.” Gorgeous by Taylor Swift

The moment you caught his eye at the party, he’d called dibs.

It was some house party you were invited to by your friend. You can’t say that the place is put together…but it’s certainly unique. And you’ll never pass up a chance to drink and give some guys a good flirt. You’re friend said she was invited by a group of guys who were appearently the hosts. She said they were weird as hell, and that you just had to see it for yourself.

Well, you’ll bite! Parties were never not fun, and almost immeadiatley upon entry, you understood exactly what she meant.

You and your group of friends were probably the only girls there. The rooms were cluttered up with junk, which was surprisingly unique. A Juggalo tapestry (interesting…), a whole ton of magazines, and the distinct smell of weed. You kinda liked it. It was homey.

Scanning around the room, you finally got a drink, and sipped on it lazily. You wandered from bathroom to bedroom, ignoring the commotion in the living room. One of the hosts, the short one, was trying to do a backflip on the dining table. You’d prefer not to see someone break their neck in person.

A voice grabbed you out of your thoughts, nearly scaring you half to death. You probably shouldn’t be snooping. Oh well. You looked up to find him. The tall one of the party hosts. He was wearing a polo, odd party attire you noted. You mentally prepared him to ask just what the hell you were doing, wandering around in his house.

Instead, he came over, wearing this god awful smirk.

Little did you know, he’d already been watching you carefully. RA instincts from back in college. He wondered why this super duper hot chick was sneaking around the house, but he didn’t really mind. Why not give it a shot? You were so pretty, in fact, that he was sure you only talked to, like, model looking guys. Which yeah, threatened him a little.

But he kept imagining how your kids would look like with him, and how that party dress hugged your waist, and how you laughed like a literal angel. So, he got a cup ready for you and walked over.

“Hey, uh, do you want a drink?” He asked, looking down on you, clearing his throat. Oh. That’s why he came over. You were used to getting hit on at parties. You wondered what pick-up line he would use, curiosity peaked. “It’s, uh, a special concoction I made. I call it… Anders’ Elixir of Love. Pretty impressive, huh?”

Well, wouldn’t hurt to humor the guy. Your red solo cup had been drained empty minutes ago anyways.

“Anders’ Elixir of Love?” You repeated, mildly confused and intrigued.

“Actually, it’s Anders. Like, Ahn-ders,” He quickly waved off and corrected you. “Not “Ann-ders,” like you’re struggling with basic phonics. But it’s cute you tried.”

You nodded in understanding, a bit impressed by the…confidence (?) to correct you. Not to mention the blunt insult. For some reason, whatever technique he was poorly aiming for was working.

“Okay, Ahn-ders. What’s in the drink?”

“Oh, you know, just a bit of this and that. Mostly, uh, vodka and… more vodka. But it’s all in the wrist action when you mix it. Really important. You look like you could use some of my, uh, mixology expertise.”

You’re eyebrows scrunched together, and you couldn’t help the small smile playing on your lips. You take the drink from him, taking a sip. Yep, thats all vodka. You fight the urge to make a face.

“Thanks,” You respond. “Do you normally host parties like this?”

He seems like he’s pysching himself up, and attempts a painfully awkward smirk.

“Oh, yeah. I’m, uh, kind of a big deal at parties. People just, you know, can’t resist my charm and my… face. I mean, look at this jawline. It’s like chiseled from marble.”

He immeadiatley bends down and shifts so you can see his side profile.

That illicts a chuckle from you, and you see his eyes brighten up.

“Is that your friend out there? On the table?” You reference the short one, with an eyebrow raised. These guys are certainly…interesting.

“Oh, Adam?” He looks back, before his attention turns to you. At the name, he seems tired. He waves the guy off, a roll of his eyes and a huff. “Ignore him. He’s insane.”

So maybe he’s the sane one? You think.

“But back to you, girl. You got a body like Pamela Anderson in Baywatch and I’m tryna ride that waaaave.” He leans against the door frame and slowly strokes his chin, biting his lip and squinting his eyes.

Ah, and he’s ruined it. He speaks with a tone of superiority and a he’s bit overly-confident. He gives an awkward, almost manic giggle when he realized you’re silent. Maybe he’s not the sane one, but he’s got a charm to him. You could do worse. You shrug.

You carefully inch closer towards him, and put a hand on his shoulder. His confidence almost immeadiatley slips, and he stands up straight, correcting his posture. At the contact, his mouth drops open, and lets out a small gasp. He quickly attempts to recover with a hard swallow, as though he can’t believe this is actually happening. Like really, for real, actually happening.

“Show me what you can do then.”

Before you know it, his hands are on your waist- like magnets connecting, and he’s holding on a bit too tight.

You love parties.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Trey, Ruggie: Paint the Town Red

Hell yeah, I was right about the alternating day/night groovies 😳 and Trey’s bouquet still looks like a bunch of leafy greens--

I actually found Trey’s interview really interesting, especially the final question! I really connected with trying to “refine” my imagination and trying to understand the meaning behind all kinds of art. That probably explains why I love analysis so much 🤡

Also, sorry for being late for your birthday, Trey asdgkjvakgssdvasd I WAS DISTRACTED BY THE GLORIOUS MASQUERADE

A Boy in Bloom, and his Flowering Future.

“What’s one thing you hope to do this upcoming year?”

Trey paused, considering his options. “I guess I’d try to appreciate more art? I go to museums back home, but there’s probably a bunch of work that I haven’t seen yet.”

“Art?” Ruggie’s nose scrunched up.

“Ahahah... I can see you’re not a fan of it.”

“Well, nothin’ against it, but it’s not really my thing. You can’t get paid to stare at paintings! It’s a kinda luxury that only well-off types look at for fun.” The hyena’s eyes sharpened, carefully parsing through Trey’s worth. “You well-off?”

“What? No, not me.” He held up a hand, easing his interviewer. “I’m not rich. I’m not super into art either, but I just can’t help but be drawn to it. I wonder what the art could mean, what the artist was thinking of when they were creating it.

“My imagination’s not too good, and that can be a problem for visualizing spells. I think of looking at art like I’m trying to train myself to think bigger and better.”

“... Is that even something you can train in the first place? ‘S not like your brain can grow muscles.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” Trey’s words trailed off into a brief, nervous laugh. “That’s the problem. I’ve tried lots of things, but I don’t get anywhere with it.”

“Aren’t ‘cha in the same club as Rook-san? You could always ask him for help.” (Ruggie made a face as he gave the suggestion.) “That weirdo can make anything sound all fancy.”

“True, that’s definitely Rook’s… strong suit. But this is something I’d like to figure out for myself. It’s not the same if someone else is there to guide me to the answer.”

“So you’ll go out of your way to help your dorm in Magift and teach’m how to cook, but you won’t take any help for yourself?”

“Pretty much.”

“Huh… You’re pretty selfless, Trey-san.” Ruggie hid a leering smile behind a hand, knowing that he wasn’t the same.

Nothin’ like me. If I can get the same result, it doesn’t matter how I got there. Begging, cheating, stealing—anything to claw toward his prize.

“Is that how you think of me? Well… If it causes less trouble for me in the long run, then sure. I just think it’s practical.”

“… You’re a real square, you know that?” Ruggie rolled his eyes. “No wonder why Riddle keeps you around—and no wonder why your imagination’s crap. You seriously gotta open your mind—”

He vaguely gestured upward.

Trey looked.

The sky was a dark tapestry woven with sparkling stars, the moon a milky jewel. It was a marvelous night straight out of a painting.

Trey held his breath, waiting for something wonderful to happen. For something to finally click into place, for him to suddenly understand.

It didn’t.

“—to the possibilities.”

“It’s the sky.”

“That’s one possibility.” Ruggie cocked a cheeky grin. “Back home, there’s a story about how the great kings of the past watch over us from up there. And all the stars? Those’re the people that’ve passed on. That’s… another possibility.”

Trey lifted a brow. Had his ears deceived him, or had there been a slight hesitation in the hyena’s voice?

“Ruggie, could it be that…”

He was cut off by an explosion of flowers thrusted at his face. Tufts of hydrangeas, young clovers and chrysanthemums, glossy leaves, all in shades of green.

Trey blinked, bewildered.

“You shouldn’t keep’m waiting,” Ruggie insisted, his head poking out from the birthday bouquet broom. He shoved it into his upperclassman’s hands. “I bet they’re lookin’ to wish you a happy birthday too.”

… No. No, he couldn’t ask it and ruin the moment. Trey swallowed and shoved the question down.

“The great kings of the past, right?” Trey nodded, tipping his wizarding cap. “I’ll let them know you said hi. They’ll be happy to hear from you.”

Ruggie’s mouth wobbled before deciding to settle with a slight frown and a sigh. “There you go again, worrying about others instead of yourself.” The hyena clapped Trey on the back. “Hurry up and get going, or the party food’s gonna be stale when you get back.”

“Alright, alright, I’m off. Don’t wait up for me.”

“I won’t!! I’m gonna be busy stuffing my face.”

Trey found himself chuckling at the ease with which Ruggie responded, whisking away the last of his nerves. A cool autumn breeze ran along his neck, cutting at a sharp angle—and, following it, he came upon the sky again.

The same old thing.

But bright blue on the days when Heartslabyul held its unbirthday parties. The clouds were stretches thin then, like white taffy being pulled apart and melting deliciously upon the tongue.

Red as roses at sunset, the light popped and bleeding into the horizon as they cleared their things up, packing the decorations away for another day. Red, the color most loved by the queen. Like the strawberries Riddle adored.

The rosy pinks and peaches of dawn, the violets and blues of dusk, gold from the sun.

It’s still the sky, but it’s constantly changing, Trey realized.

So vibrant, he could almost taste them. As bright and as sweet as citrus drops. The stars, now looking like they were crafted of silvery sugar.

“… Someday, I’ll understand it.”

Why the night sky is sprinkled with sugar stars.

Calm down, take a deep breath, summon all your strength… and seek my own answers!

With that promise nestled to his chest, Trey launched into the air in a shower of sparkles. Stray petals trailed after him, glowing in the moonlight.

Painting the college in his colors.