#i wrote this while high so take it with a grain of salt

[celestial-druidic]

Noticed something while rewatching Good Omens s2

When Jim said in his second big flashback “It would be an institutional problem”, It can actually be interpreted in two different ways. First, we realize that it is in reference to what the Metatron said about Gabriel being cast down to hell. He is saying that Gabriel won’t be banished from Heaven for rejecting Armageddon 2.0, but instead be demoted to scrivener. Except at the culmination of the episode, we learn that Gabriel had been meeting with Beelzebub, falling in love with them. So when we go back to the “institutional problem” line, it now has a second meaning. Having another set of Angel/Demon run off together would make it seem like an institutional problem, meaning that they would be wrong on another occasion.

Not really an epiphany but i was high so idk

[meganwhalenturner]

Somebody wrote to ask me for advice on writing. This is what I told them:

I'm terrible at giving writing advice. I know that the best advice for one person can be the very worst for another, so feel free to ignore all of this except for the very first bit:  

There are a lot of people who will tell you they can help you write better, get your manuscript edited, get your book published.  A lot of them just want your money. As a general rule, don't give people your money for what you write -- make people give you THEIR money for what you write.  I've heard this called Yog's Law:  Money Should Flow to the Author.

Check out the Writer Beware site run by SFWA.

Not every writing program is a scam, but don't think you have to have an MFA or attend a famous writing workshop to be taken seriously as a writer.  You don't.

Decide who you are writing for before you start.  It's okay to write for yourself.  It's okay to write for that one person in high school with whom you shared fanfiction.  (I did that, it was The Thief).  It's okay to aim for a worldwide audience and it's okay to write for the three people in the entire world who will appreciate your story.  When you run into criticism (and you will) you want to be able to ask yourself if the criticism is coming from your audience.  If it's not, take it with a big grain of salt.

Writing can be hard work and it feels good to work hard, but it's okay to do it for fun.  Maybe you just want to write craptastic fanfiction -- you should do that and I hope you enjoy yourself.  Don't let other people dictate what "worthwhile" writing is.

Don't be afraid to write badly. Don't be afraid you'll "waste" that really good idea you have because you couldn't write well enough to do it justice.  You'll have another good idea.  

You have to write to be a writer.  That sounds obvious, but you have to figure out for yourself what makes writing happen and then you have to do it.  Some people will tell you their way of writing is guaranteed to work.  Do not believe them.  Some people can set themselves goals -- they write 2,000 words a day and they are good words!  Some set themselves a goal and they waste an entire day squeezing out 2,000 garbage words. Sometimes the conditions that you need in order to work will seem silly.  Friederich Von Schiller kept rotting apples around to sniff while he wrote.  I don't know if that would work for you. Only you know the way for you.  

Good luck,

~mwt

[castingspellsanddaisies]

How's sexy time with... Jeon Jungkook? + How he imagines intimacy with ''the love of his life''? Awn | Tarot Reading

DISCLAIMER: Take everything with a grain of salt and enjoy!

Obs: this post has 18+ content so if you don't want to read it, beat it!

So, how's it then?

3 of wands + the tower + 6 of wands + king of pentacles + ace of wands reversed + king of cups + page of swords reversed + 8 of wands reversed + 6 of swords reversed

My, my Mr. Jeon...

Alright, so the first thing that I see is that Jungkook really puts in the work to satisfy his partner - REALLY puts in the work to make the person c*m. And it's an ego thing for him (hehe), like he'll be thinking ''honey, you will c*m here with me, I don't care what I have to do but you will''. Mm.

Jungkook is dominant during sex. I don't see him letting his partner ''do'' much during it (it could also be a cultural thing, this thought just popped into my mind, so I don't know). And he likes to makeit last as long as he can, I don't see him rushing for climax at all. But he's not a brut, no, he's very sweet with his partner, very sensual - he likes to pay attention in how his partner responds to him during it. Very good.

That's kinda funny, folks, so when I wrote that he likes to make it last, I wasn't joking. This man just looses himself like there's no tomorrow. I see that he may get into subspace (to summarize, to get into ''subspace'' is when a person gets so horny and floaty during the act that the person seems lost, in another dimension) and stay in there for a while, BUT without the BDSM part - I don't see Jungkook being very risky or ''creative'' during sex, he's vanilla and he's very good at it.

Jungkook, dear, close your eyes and imagine yourself being intimate with the love of your life, what do you see? Tell us

queen of wands + ace of wands + the high priestess + ace of wands + 4 of wands + the hermit reversed

For Jungkook, the love of his life will definitely help him in his creative pursues. I see him looking up to her for approaval. Jungkook imagines spending time with the love of his life in secluded places, away from chaos, away from everybody - just the two of them and their passion. He imagines himself kind of stalking her everywhere she goes inside their house (he finds that romantic lol), like ''I can't take my eye off of you''. Sharing secrets, finding a hidden place inside their house that only the two of them know of...

--------------------------------------------------------------

That's it, folks! I hope you enjoyed the reading (hehe) and I'll see you soon! <3

[orphiclovers]

Thinking about Underground Killer by Lee Sookyung again.

The most obvious place to start is at it's compariosn to Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Now I haven't read it and I'm not yet crazy enough to read a book just to be able to write a better orv meta (I mean I could. it's 22k words it isn't that long) but I DID read the sparknotes summary so I can make surface level comparison... but take everything I say about NFTU with a grain of salt as I'll be interpreting it creatively to fit ORV's narrative LOL

NFTU is split in two parts. The first part is a collection of notes from a lonely, misanthropic 40 something man full of self hate who feels paralyzed by inaction, overcome by inertia, unable to make a single decision about his own life. He is totally alienated from society and figuratively "underground"

I can see a fucked up inversion of Lee Sookyung's story here. Women in abusive marriages often struggle to leave for years and even decades, paralyzed by fear and learned helpnessness into not making a single decision. Underground Killer could be about her marriage to Dokja’s father and her life during that period, struggling with the desire to escape and her own fear. NFTU critises russian society - UK must have criticized the korean society that allows women to be abused this way.

But unlike the narrator of NFTU she DID make a decision in the end, she did something that required tremendous willpower- she killed her husband. Well, that's what she wrote in the book anyway.

I think Underground Killer must have been a story of how an intelligent woman could be driven to murder (providing an in depth motive so no one suspects she didn't, I suppose) and clearly it felt real. As this candid look into domestic violence's toll shook the country enough to inspire positive change in legislation. How did that happen? I assume it sparked some manner of protests and outrage and became a symbol of the feminist movement (since in no reality would it be the MEN pushing for a change in law to protect women's rights. be so fr).

It must have been a polarizing and controversial topic where everyone had their own take. I'm thinking what the reactions were.

Like I said, the women were mostly on Sookyung's side as they probably saw her actions as brave and inspirational. I'm thinking men absolutely hated it due to it's criticism of patriarchy and the feminist themes. Media at large was enchanted by the spectacle of it all and milked it for all it's worth. Kim Dokja’s peers were too young to care about the Adult thing everyone is talking about on TV at the time it came out.

Later, in high school it was the most fucked up version of "your mom" jokes possible and "don't look at kim dokja too long, or he's gonna snap and kill everyone haha"

At Minosoft it was "Kim Dokja...? Wait that Kim Dokja from that thing on TV a while ago? The son of that woman?" Just gossip.

People like Sagah who don't listen to gossip but read are vaugely familiar with it as a famous book a while ago

Then the apocalypse happens and it is irrelevant to anyone who isn't kim dokja

[paingoes]

cute delta things i didn’t get to focus on as much as i wanted

ie my underrated facts and as of yet unused whump ideas :)

-he literally faints all the time when using his powers and needs to be carried back out. mostly by simon. sometimes by paris :)

-martino has med students!!! they pop in sometimes i never really acknowledged them directly tho. theyre older than delta but not by that much. he is basically a case study to them but some of them do try ti get close and immediately get demoted/reassigned because of “inappropriate attachment”

-i had this idea for martino taking delta to a medical conference. delta having to be on display/used for tests w really green and overexcited students. extremely awkward stay at the conference hotel. delta is probably high for a lot of it tbh.

-also. delta is on a ton of medications to keep his powers elevated. he is only vaguely aware of this. its actually kinda considered doping in universe so most people are NOT aware of this!!!!

-simon and martino fighting more. i like the idea of simon being gentle w delta and martino going out of his way to try and counteract it and dehumanize him again to preserve his conditioning

-simon and paris talks. simon is way too much of a pussy to confront paris head on and i think they generally get along fine? becuz simon is a bystander. also paris pretends not to remember either of the handlers names even though he definitely knows them.

-delta is totally starved for affection but he would not accept it from just anyone i think hes actually kinda picky about it bizarrely enough. hes v distrusting and when his internet friends tried to be nice to him his response was invariably “just fuck off”…. and he actually likes them he just gets mad anyway cause he cant handle it 😭

-delta and paris kinda just hang out sometimes LOL…. paris always (correctly!) feels like hes in an adversarial environment whenever he has to go anywhere for work and delta is usually the only person there he trusts so if theyre not doing anything else its just gossip time.

-incidentally ^ delta was really deliberately not taught anything about history or politics or ethics at the institute because they didnt want him getting ideas but paris is heavy into that stuff and complains about it so much that delta just picks up on it. he absorbs info like a sponge its why he was such a good whistleblower.

-to me this is obvious but paris’s chillness-over-time graph is a bellcurve. like he is AWFUL at the beginning and awful at the end but in the middle he got very close to actually chilling the fuck out. he barely knew delta in the beginning and i think he did v much warm to him overtime and loosen the parameters of their relationship a lot. this is peak chill time. the assassination ruined everything but paris still… liked delta afterwards he was just insane and dangerous and delta was at ground zero of that. 

         (sidenote: some of the early paris chapters are so bad in terms of what he did and how he was written i actually feel the need to retcon some of it? it took a while for me to hit my stride w him, take the early stuff w a grain of salt)

-anyway. people LIKE delta. even though he doesnt talk hes v cute and unflappable in a way that’s very endearing to people even in empire. people do definitely go out of their way to fuck w him and its dehumanizing and they shouldnt do it but its not necessarily mean-spirited a lot of the time they just think hes interesting.

-sometimes it is meanspirited though. wanted to write something w misc soldiers trying to bully him. cause delta is obviously v submissive and incapable of defending himself but he’s also not trained to obey just anyone. in fact he would have some v large objections to that! (also an excuse to write protective paris at the end lol u know theyre dead)

-more simon carewhumper status. i wrote destroyer before i knew almost anything about whump like i didnt even know what a “carewhumper” was when i wrote it so i was surprised to see someone tag it w that. i guess it’s technically true! anyway i feel bad i let simon fall so much to the wayside. i think delta deserved more comfort over the events of destroyer and his relationship w simon really was very important to him so its on my list.

-thorn era sickfic. maybe the same psychic fever that makes him loopy? might be good for a non-canon bonus i cant tell if it would be more hurt or comfort yet

-this is a lot to get into but if i had to explain the way delta’s powers “worked” i would say that his only true ability is being a conduit. he is not really producing anything he is just tapping into something that is already there. it is not a meaningful difference to an outside party but in terms of what it feels like to use them….. its very psychedelic and psychospiritual and trippy. wouldnt recommend. also i really liked the tag that called delta a mage. its cute bcuz he actually loves pulp fantasy. he would like that :)

[mountkennedie]

Personal Circus Monkey

another blurb for you lovely people

While Anakin had to keep to safe, he mainly was just following you around. So if you wanted to return to Naboo for a day or two, then so is he.

That led to your current predicament. You and Anakin had been enjoying a lovely afternoon in the countryside.

"Ani?" You looked down at the man currently resting his head in your lap. You'd been running your fingers through his golden strands for a while now. You thought he was long asleep.

"Yes, angel?" His eyes stayed shut but a smile formed on his lips.

"You can do jedi tricks right?" His eyes abruptly opened.

"Well..." he smirked, "many different kinds. Which do you mean."

"Can you do that thing where they jump really high?"

"Yes. Any other traits you're curious about?" He turned his head more towards you.

"Can you do a backflip?"

"Yes."

"Do one right now. Please."

He sighs and rises from the grassy bed he was rested on. "I'd only do this for you," he said getting into position. He flipped and you enthusiastically cheered him on.

"Again!" He sighed and flipped again. He laid back down with you. "One m-" he cut you off by pressing his lips on yours.

"Are you sick of flipping?"

"I would do whatever you ask. But too much flipping makes me sick," he ended with a giggle.

"Oh well then I apologize my nauseous jedi knight. We can go back to watching the clouds. I don't mind."

"No no, I will many more flips for you and whatever 'jedi tricks' you wish me to. Once I relax. And... I would like to watch the clouds. Anything with you." His eye contact was strong with passion. But when wasn't it.

"Good. There is much else I'd like you to do for me."

///////////////////////////////////////////////

A.N. i wrote this in one sitting so pls take this with a grain of salt

[italianpersonwithashippersheart]

This isn't a fully formed thought, I am just spitballing. But I was thinking about the movie posters by @lukaherehelp and what @lurkingshan wrote here about DFF being a marvel of mystery writing and I started to think is DFF really a horror?

Let me explain, after 4 episode in the past with no hints of anything suprenatural, I am firmly on cap this was all man made, halluciantions and drugs and tech only by humans. If this was suprenatural I would have expected some type hints, like an entity watching the boys at the cabin. Maybe even following them home, eyes in the shadows, stuff like that.

So if you take that into consideration and everything about the horror was manufactured (except the deaths, I guess) do the rules of horror even apply? Every horror elements has been tied to the movie they made, the posters are horror movies only, the temple expands on the lore they used for the movie, the masked killer is from the movie. If it's all tied to the fake movie and the horror elements are all fake, then this isn't a horror story.

Is it both? Because while I would call some of the stuff that happened to Non horrific. I wouldn't call the past 4 episode an horror, a mystery for sure, a thriller definitely but not a horror.

It feels like both the characters and the story are using the horror elements as dressing a way to scare the boys, to torment them, a way to draw us in, to present the ultimate reaction to the cycles of violence and revenge. But it doesn't feel like we are operating in a horror genre, with the genre rules.

I don't know where I am going with this. Mostly I am just wondering about the finale, and what happens when we go back to the present timeline. Because so far the two genres have not operated on the same level, at the same time. We went horror with a pinch of mystery, then mystery/thriller. Then it stands to reason going back to the present will have to juggle both.

I am not saying the story can't do it, or it's a bad decision or anything. This isn't a critique I have just been thinking about everyone calling this a slasher, and expecting slasher/horror endings and I've been wondering about it. Because I looked it up (and I know MDL barely means anything so take it with a grain of salt)

On MDL, Dead Friend Forever is not described as an horror series.

Genres: Action, Thriller, Drama

Tags: Multiple Mains, LGBTQ+, Suspense, Gay Romance, Filmmaking, Steamy Kiss, Mild Gore, Drinking, Smoking, High School (Vote or add tags)

And I looked it up on iQIYI and these are the tags there:

So, is DFF really an horror??

[dufferpuffer]

Remus' wand is made from Cypress. what fo you think, is it suits him? 🤔

In short: Eh… I don't think Cypress suits him all that well, no. It suits Severus more. It's not the worst… but there's a much better option for Remus. And it's already sitting in the hand of another character.

Note: Wand Wood descriptions from the Wand Lore and Wand Core Pottermore. While not canon, take them with a grain of salt, I also use descriptions from the 'Unofficial Ultimate Harry Potter Spellbook' - because I like them. B^)

Firstly, Wand Cores (out of the three cores Ollivander uses): Reading the Wand Core Pottermore page and summarizing in my own words:

Dragon Heartstring: Powerful, Quick-Learners, Artistic, Cooperative but somewhat disloyal. Temperamental. If you can put a Dragon wand to use it will be happy in your hand - but might find itself happier in another. Is okay with Dark Magic.

Phoenix Feather: Wide range, Slow to learn, Picky, Somewhat aloof, Independent, Difficult to tame. If you can impress a Phoenix wand it will bond with you, but it is a union earned through effort and patience.

Unicorn Hair: Consistent, Unwavering, Loyal, Uncritical, Not the strongest, prone to melancholy. Kinda needy - bonds easily and will be consistent for them and only them - withers and dies when left alone. Struggles with Dark Magic.

I agree with Remus having a Unicorn Hair core. Dragon would be a decent fit too - but Unicorn Hair is too good: Not the strongest... but attaches himself to whoever will have him and remains utterly loyal. Withers with sadness when left behind. No matter the 'darkness' in him - he is not dark by nature. Solid.

--- Wand Woods:

Cypress (I'm actually whittling a Remus wand made of Cypress right now ha)

'Cypress wands are associated with nobility. The great medieval wandmaker, Geraint Ollivander, wrote that he was always honoured to match a cypress wand, for he knew he was meeting a witch or wizard who would die a heroic death. Fortunately, in these less blood-thirsty times, the possessors of cypress wands are rarely called upon to lay down their lives, though doubtless many of them would do so if required. Wands of cypress find their soul mates among the brave, the bold and the self-sacrificing: those who are unafraid to confront the shadows in their own and others’ natures.'

...I would not describe Remus as 'noble'. I wouldn't say his self-sacrificing nature was particularly 'noble'. Sure... Remus would lay his life down for someone else. He'd lay his life down for no good reason too - like avoiding hot sex with a cool lady he loves. My man is unwell... He isn't bold and he isn't brave... He CERTAINLY isn't unafraid to face his own shadow. Like holy shit lol

I have a feeling the Author paired him with Cypress after deciding he would die - that Cypress was written around Remus, to give him a little something sweet. It paints his death in a good light: saying he grew beyond all his issues; changed for the better before the end. And while he was starting to heal and grow before his end - his progress was cut short by his death, not punctuated by it.

It was a tragic and 'pointless' death, other than to 'clean up' the old generation. (which I am not against. It is satisfying enough in its tragedy. I can't think of a particular reason why Remus should remain alive when the rest of his friends don't… it would feel weird. Tonks' death on the other hand I HATE-) He didn't die an especially heroic death. He just died.

You can say it was noble of him to risk dying in order to try and ensure his son had a better world to live in... but he was also okay with risking dying so Tonks could 'move on' from him, and he almost chose the high risk of traveling with Harry rather than staying with her when pregnant... those were seen as cowardly and cruel. He could have ensured that his son had a dad that would be there for him - but he didn't. Once again he chose risk over staying with those that need him. This is a tangent - I just mean there's nothing special about his death that made it more noble than anyone else.

Unofficial HP Spellbook: 'Pairs well with those who are gallant and unselfish. In Greek mythology, the tree's namesake, Cyparissus, was turned into a tree as punishment for accidentally killing a sacred stag gifted to him by Apollo. It's long been associated with death, grief, mourning and the underworld' (btw cypress oil is antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal.)

The stag thing is, at a glance, 'wooahh just like James-!' ...but Remus didn't do that. Remus didn't accidentally get James or Harry killed. Nor did he turn into a tree and root to the one spot - he runs away, is hard to track down... It just doesn't fit him quite right.

Cypress fits Severus more than it fits Remus. Noble in life and death, called to lay down his life, brave, bold and self-sacrificing - has dedicated his life to confronting his 'shadow'. Plus the sacrificing a stag thing, being associated with grief and mourning, rooting like a tree to the one spot as a punishment - and having healing elements...? Severus Snape.

...There is a wood I think suits Remus FAR better:

Hawthorn

'The wandmaker Gregorovitch wrote that hawthorn ‘makes a strange, contradictory wand, as full of paradoxes as the tree that gave it birth, whose leaves and blossoms heal, and yet whose cut branches smell of death.’ While I disagree with many of Gregorovitch’s conclusions, we concur about hawthorn wands, which are complex and intriguing in their natures, just like the owners who best suit them. Hawthorn wands may be particularly suited to healing magic, but they are also adept at curses, and I have generally observed that the hawthorn wand seems most at home with a conflicted nature, or with a witch or wizard passing through a period of turmoil. Hawthorn is not easy to master, however, and I would only ever consider placing a hawthorn wand in the hands of a witch or wizard of proven talent, or the consequences might be dangerous. Hawthorn wands have a notable peculiarity: their spells can, when badly handled, backfire.'

Contradictory, Complex, Conflicted Nature... Healing but 'smells' of death... Passing through a period of turmoil... Requires skills to master or else face dangerous consequences... can backfire...

Unofficial HP Spellbook: 'Well-suited for both curses and healing magic, hawthorn (also called the 'May-tree') carries with it a bit of superstition. The hawthorn blossom releases trimethylamine, a chemical that forms in decaying animal tissue, which might help explain why many in the U.K. associated the plant with death and don't want it in their home.'

So the description of this wood is Remus J. Lupin's biography. A complex and contradictory man, constantly conflicted, his entire life in a state of turmoil… Healing, soothing, but has a sorta 'death' that follows him... He needs to be skilled in controlling everything about himself, lest he or others face danger... When he mishandles situations they backfire in his own face. Also an 'explosive' wand sorta suits his rare outbursts - like when he shot a hex at Harry... The superstitious 'not wanting it in your home' thing is ALSO good.

Interestingly, Hawthorn with a Unicorn core... is Draco's wand. But... I feel like this combination suits Remus better than Draco…

HAWTHORN AND UNICORN HAIR: Contradictory - but consistent. Complex - but uncritical. Conflicted - but unwavering at the core. Passing through turmoil but will not fall to 'darkness'. Holding together with bonds of sheer loyalty. Not the strongest but highly skilled - through necessity of controlling danger. Can backfire when fumbled. Withers in melancholy when losing precious bonds.

This wand doesn't just describe a positive look of Remus' last choices. It's an honest wand. Humbling. It fits his weaknesses while holding up his triumphs. I can see it working for him his entire life, from an 11yr old with a heavy weight on his shoulders to growing and healing with his wife.

[meeravandaseera]

Introductory Waterfolkology literature or books Masterlist

This is a list of books which, in my opinion, tend to be swell for introducing waterfolk, for example merfolk, mermaids and mermen and the like.

All of them are pretty good to get introduced into waterfolk only. While I still have many more in my shelf, most of them are pretty limited for getting introduced. What I refer to is being thrown into this topic like being thrown into a cold pool. "Beyond Faery" by John T. Kruse for example only explains British waterfolk and not all the other ones that one should know about. Basically, I cherry-picked some books for this list. I wrote down some of my personal pros and cons, mostly like a bullet list. Questions are welcome. My personal favorites are more on the surface of this list. Cited sources, accurate information, included lesser known or mentioned information (this is more based on my own intuition from what I have read on what is "mentioned less", take it with a grain of sea salt), and different topics are a high-priority, yet folklore being a more major one. I'm pretty critical, but that is because I have a soft spot for more accurate and reliable sources that cite their information and whatnot. Some information in even the greatest literature tends to be biased. I do sound pretty dry here, but I cannot turn the tide for this one, sadly.

Many are well-researched meanwhile others are not so much. Of course no book can include literally everything when being more general about this topic. Some are older, but still have accurate information because usually folklore is something that is not based on the most up-to-date information, yet some information is. They are not meant to be one's one and only source because most do never manage to portray something in the entirety, leaving information out or giving us wrong information. Literally almost all of them include the false sighting of John Smith. That's why such a wide variety of literature is pretty good. Some books are out-of-print. I got many second-hand.

All of this is my own opinion and one should also read other reviews when sea-riously considering what to get. There are so many of these and one should really think twice about what one should get, at least physically. One can try to lend a book from a library or get it in E-Book format, of course.

>>Mermaid and Other Water Spirit Tales From Around the World<< by Heidi Anne Heiner:

Pros: Essential and satisfies my critical side. A treasury of more accurate and literal accounts of waterfolk in folklore taken from more direct sources. (Obviously not the original sources, but mostly the directly translated ones). Even includes full older articles like "Sea Fables Explained" or the waterfolk section of "Superstistions of the Sea and Sailors". Includes various notes on sections in order to add or explain some things about each sourced text. Directly cited sources. Includes lesser known waterfolk like the Kaffirs of Xhosa belief on pages 732-735. Includes many different versions of some tales like the ones of "The King's Son and Messeria". Includes ballads and all their different versions. Is not afraid to leave direct, lengthy and repeating things inside (It is okay to sum such lengthy tales up, but I am happy that such a book exists when one needs to check the actual account).

Cons: Some language of the past might make it harder to understand some sources. Need to look up some vocabulary. Stories like "The Little Mermaid" or "Undine" included within the sea of oral tradition, out of the tide.

>>The Penguin Book of Mermaids<< edited by Christina Bacchilega and Marie Alohalani Brown:

Pros: Essential. Scholarly and descriptive. Includes direct and accurate source texts and important notes to explain a source or to describe it. Makes it clear what is literary and what is not by giving it a separate section. Has some lesser known literary tales. Includes many lesser known waterfolk like the karukayn from North Australia or Persian watermaidens. Cited sources nicely.

Cons: Only includes one version each for the ballads.

>>The Mermaid Atlas: Merfolk of the World<< by Anna Claybourne and illustrated by Miren Asian Lora:

Pros: Quite essential as it dives into a wide range of waterpeople from across the world's waters with a substantial fishing net cast into the sea of these books. Mentions more obscure waterpeople like the lamiak, Ji-Merdiwa, Sumpall, Avatea, Lobasta, Peru waterfolk etc. Introduced me to many of the aforementioned waterpeople from obscure depths and uncharted waters. Illustrations are nice to look at and they do depict them well to an extent. Succinct, yet descriptive about each type of waterperson. Includes sightings and makes it clear that those featured are only some of them.

Cons: No sources for any information are stated and one is left to search by oneself in order to get the full wave. Included one literary waterperson, namely the little mermaid and mixed it up with all the other ones from oral tradition. It's a bit out of the tide.

>>Mermaids: The Myths, Legends & Lore<< by Skye Alexander:

Pros: Includes many lesser known waterpeople like Squant the sea-woman to whom it introduced me. Goes into folklore, but also symbolism and other topics alongside. Mentions lesser known waterfolk sightings. Many obscure waterfolk depictions, but only all of them in teal. Has somewhat good reference pages.

Cons: Some things are mentioned twice. No direct sources cited for any sections alongside for the depictions. Information tends to be scattered around and mixed together in the book and thus is not very easy to follow.

>>Merpeople: A Human History<< by Vaughn Scribner:

Pros: Essential. Partly made available online on articles like "What Merpeople Say About Us" on Nautilus, "Mermaids and Tritons in the Age of Reason" on the Public Domain Review and also some interviews. Descriptive, academic, scholarly. Written by a historian. Dives into many a many of obscure sightings and puts forth many ideas on that topic. Has much information on all the different frauds and includes much more obscure information. Goes into some folklore and influence on pop-culture with many great examples. Great waterfolk depictions, including some lesser known ones. Sources cited for depictions and information. Explains the fraud of John Smith's "sighting".

Cons: Does not include all too much folklore from around the world, covers only more basic knowledge in that section. Primarily only focuses on sightings and hoaxes etc.

>>Solving Mysteries with Science: Mermaids<< by Lori Hile:

Pros: Dives into sightings and theories including answers on the existence of waterfolk. Has somewhat lesser known information, hoaxes, and sightings. Covers why one might have believed in them. Has some folklore still. Succinct.

Cons: Mostly only about waterfolk sightings and hoaxes.

>>Sea Enchantress: The Tale of the Mermaid and Her Kin<< by Gwen Benwell and Arthur Waugh (1961):

Pros: Academic, scholarly, and very well-written. It's descriptive and written by scholars, obviously. They were members of the British Folklore Society and devoted several years to research this topic alone. Somewhat essential. Many diverse topics ranging from the shallow takes on waterfolk that they are "only sirenians" up to different sightings and folklore from the entire world. Includes lesser known waterfolk like the Finnish Aino in the Kalevala and the nixen in the Nibelungensage from Germany or the almost obscure Jalpari of the Punjab district in Kulu in India's mythology. Includes a small variety of diverse depictions ranging from illustrations to sculptures, but only in black and white. Has a list of waterfolk depictions in British cathedrals and churches. Dives into some more 20th century popular waterfolk media.

Cons: Sometimes only describes waterfolk with not-so-much detail. Short sources are cited, but not always, only rarely. Has a tendency to be more talking about European waterfolk than others, especially those of the British Isles. Fewer waterfolk from other countries. Does not acknowledge the misconception of Dagan, the supposed fish-god. Just assumes that Dagan is a fish-god while he most likely is not, more of an agriculture god.

>>Mermaids: Art, Symbolism, and Mythology<< by Alex Müller, Christopher Halls, and Ren Williamson:

Pros: Academic, thorough, and scholarly. Written by scholars. Includes a big list of references and sources for the depictions. Dives into different topics like the ancient waterfolk of Mesopotamia and Greece, waterfolk in early Christianity, some sightings and explanations, art and modern 21st century influence. It has many nice and essential depictions from the past and even sculptures. Describes in neat detail how some depictions came to be and where they are featured etc. Has a graph showing how the sirens changed from half-bird to half-fish with many variants.

Cons: No directly cited sources in the text. Mostly only more well-known waterfolk.

>>Mermaids<< by Beatrice Philpotts:

Pros: Descriptive. Has nice waterfolk depictions including lesser known ones. Goes into folklore and sightings with some hoaxes including answers. Some lesser known information like the supposed sea-god incarnation of King Chen.

Cons: Almost no directly cited sources. Information is quite mixed together.

>>The Mermaid Handbook: An Alluring Treasury of Literature, Lore, Art, Recipes, and Projects<< by Carolyn Turgeon:

Pros: Dives into many things from folklore to 21st century fashion and pop-culture like the name above suggests. Sources cited for the depictions and some of the texts included like smaller poems. Includes few lesser known older depictions of waterfolk. Mentions some somewhat not very well-known waterfolk like Dahut of the city of Ys or the Ben-Varrey. Some interesting speech or interviews by people on the topic of waterfolk like "A Young Man's Guide to Picking Up Mermaids".

Cons: No directly cited sources in the folklore section, not even in the back. I was quite surprised by that. While it does have a bibliography, it does not give direct citations. Does not always cite depictions on those large two page spanning ones. Mixes "The Little Mermaid" and "Undine" literary tales to the oral tradition folklore seaction with the Melusiné, it's a bit out of the tide. On page 86 it says that "it's impossible to catalogue the endless types of glitzy aquatic hybrids that exist in almost every culture", that is not very true because Theresa Bane, for instance, made a whole encyclopedia of humanoid mythical beings from the entire world. If one is daring to do so, it is possible.

Notes: Cozy list of seaweed at the end, it's nice. Interesting DIY projects.

>>Scaled for Success: The Internationalisation of the Mermaid<< edited by Philip Hayward:

Pros: Available online on ResearchGate. Descriptive. Dives into many topics like folklore and pop-culture. Includes lesser known information like about the Filipino sirenas that they could control water etc or the types of yawkyawks like the ngalworreworre of the Wugularr people in North Australia. Dives into 21st century media that have not been regarded by the Western world. Diverse. Good bibliography. Lesser known depictions included.

Cons: There tend to be no directly cited sources. Some depictions have low quality.

>>Seduction and the Secret Power of Women - The Lure of Sirens and Mermaids<< by Meri Lao:

Pros: Descriptive and academic. Goes into mythology of the sirens and their interesting evolution. A bit of other Greek mythology waterfolk alongside. Includes many interesting and more obscure aspects and theories. Has some information about waterfolk aside from the European ones. Includes some obscure waterfolk like the Morrigan from the swamps of Pilgar. Section on sightings with some lesser known information like those sightings of Sicilian seamen. Many interesting lesser known depictions of waterfolk. Cites sources for depictions and some information.

Cons: Language is more complex, need to look up vocabulary. Does not go into many different waterfolk from around the world. More basic knowledge on general waterfolk, but more complex knowledge focusing only on the sirens. No directly cited sources for some information.

>>Creatures of Fantasy - Mermaids<< by Kathryn Hinds:

Pros: Goes into folklore from around the world including some lesser known waterfolk like the Halfway People, the watermaid of St. Brendan or the mermaid of the Iona Isle in Scotland. Dives into some sightings. Has some lesser known depictions.

Cons: No cited sources for information and depictions. Mixed up a sighting with folklore from other countries at the back. Mostly shallow and not all too many details included.

>>Mermaids and Mermen<< by Shannon Knudsen:

Pros: Goes into folkloric waterfolk from the world in folklore also with some lesser known ones like the Gwenhidwy, Halfway People or adaro. Includes information like sightings and frauds such as the more obscure Filipino incident of waterfolk being claimed to be held in a lab in 2009. Some vague pop-culture at the end.

Cons: Not much detail and quite shallow in some aspects. No cited sources, only very vague references.

>>Mermaid Folklore<< by Elizabeth Andrews:

Pros: Includes lesser known waterfolk like the yacaruna. Has some interesting sightings included. Depictions do represent the waterfolk well to an extent.

Cons: Mixed up sightings with folklore oftentimes. Literally no cited sources. Includes much literary information that it does not discern from the folklore. Misconception about shellycoat being humanoid, John T. Kruse in his "Beyond Faery" clears up that it's just a foal. In some tides it's more of a fictional retelling. Sometimes hard to read when text is printed on images of paper notes on the paper. Least suggested.

[katerinaaqu]

What major sources are considered as canon for Greek mythology?

Oohh that is a hard one! Mainly because one must be more specific. As to what kind of "greek mythology" we are talking about and what "canon" means in this case.

If we talk about greek mythology as in epic poetry obviously the epic poets themselves are the primary sources and then their scholiasts while if we talk about drama or poetry then again is their poets and scholiasts we need to look for

Also different writers cover different aspects of greek mythology depending on their focus. And one looks for specific sources when it comes to myths and how the myths were transfered.

Now some very well-organized sources seem to be classic Pausanias who writes references to mythology based on the areas of Greece he visited. He is very well-informed and organized in his information. Of course he is writing at a much later time so there is a high chance that many of the things he mentioned were filtered from the years that got in-between but even nowadays we use him as a source for studying Greece and connections of myths and areas. For Theogonies and all I believe one of the most famous still is Hesiod who is also one of the oldest sources we have (potentially second only to Homer but honestly the discussion on whether Homer or Hesiod came first is the same as to discuss chicken or egg at this point! XD). We have other sources from late antiquity such as Plutarch and others such as Apollodorous who also makes amazing job in listing myths.

Honestly I am not sure what can be considered "canon" in mythology given the many different versions of myths. What versions we usually take with a grain of salt are the tragedies and plays because just like retellings or novels nowaydays they do get aspired by mythology but often change the plots to fit the drama they wanna write. Some other sources I would take with a grain of salt are versions that seem to be created by one person. Simlarly with the tragedies or comedies, Ovid seems to be creating many things of his own to pass the messages he wants to pass. Many of the things he wrote do not seem to correspond to some specific ancient source.

So it highly depends on what kind of myth one looks for. Generally I should say plays and such must be taken down more critically (especially if they are not corellated even with some sort of pottery or drawing or something to help the interpretation) but by n large ancient sources in general offer the "canon" thing for mythology

I hope this answers the question. If you need some specific reference for some specific mythological example I will be more than happy to investigate further!

[rqttlers]

why’d you only call me when you’re high? - ellie williams

sorry quick note ~ I haven’t wrote in a while, please take it with a grain of salt! also not proof read, not gonna give any warnings except from drug paraphernalia because minors are probably gonna read this anyway LMFAO

“please baby i need you.” The text that pinged on your phone illuminated your room.

“fuck.” you cursed to yourself, carefully evaluating the notification, scared to click on it.

Your thumb was grazing over the screen starting to swipe it away when another appeared.

“i could fuck you so good right now just come over”

You knew she was as high as a kite, floating in the clouds. The weed haze clouding her mind, causing her to text you illogical, meaningless words. You couldn’t fall for her trap again, although every bone in your body was telling you otherwise.

As you did every few days, you laced up your converse and pulled on one of your oversized hoodies to battle the cold for the three minute walk you were about to make to Ellie’s cabin. The three minute walk that had you contemplating every single aspect of your life.

You liked her message, too embarrassed and full of shame to click in any words. That was Ellie’s confirmation. The familiar sense of deja vu settling over the both of you. You know its a problem when even Ellie can feel it. Because at this moment in time, she literally can’t feel anything. Just desire and lust, for her ex-girlfriend. You.

The snow beneath your shoes shifted to the side as you trudged along the path. The whole of Jackson was silent, nothing but the gust of wind and a few howls of coyotes and the occasional dog bark in the distance. Stillness surrounded you like it was closing in on you. Your nervousness settling into your throat, creating an everlasting lump you just couldn’t swallow.

~ knock, knock, knock. ~

The door opened and you were immediately greeted by Ellie, hands encased in her pockets.

“You okay?” You smoothly slid past her, avoiding all eye contact. That was until you felt her hands slither around your waist, pulling you back into her.

Her breath heaved onto your neck, the rise and fall of her chest pressing against your back.

“God. Do you know what you do t’ me?” She exhaled, taking an angry bite at your clavicle as she pulled the shoulder of your hoodie down.

“N-no.” You replied innocently, but you knew full well what you were doing.

The same as every weekend, she’d fuck you dumb and then you’d leave dazed as guilt crashed onto every compartment of your brain. Why did you let her keep using you like this?

“And these jeans…” Ellie dipped her hands into your waistband, pulling at the hem of your panties, grazing her middle finger over your clit ever so gently. A low moan and breath escapes your throat and the lump suddenly disappears.

“They make your ass look so good.” She grabbed at it with the hand that wasn’t pre-occupied at your cunt, giving it a squeeze and a slap before running her fingers up to grab your hair.

“I’ve been fuckin’ soaked since i seen you at the stables with Cat today. Y’ looked so fuckin’ fine baby.” Her breathy sentence only made you arch your ass further into her hips, but she pulled them away, pulling her hand from lapping at your cunt as well.

“mmm- Els!”

“What? Use your words princess.” The girl smiled into your jaw before turning you around to face her and backing you up slowly towards the end of her bed.

“I can’t keep doing this to myself.” As the words air Ellie corks her head.

“So why do you keep giving in? Huh darling?” Her veiny hands now pulling the bottom of your hoodie up your torso, but you quickly bash them away.

“I can’t keep you out of my head-“ You keep your eyes on hers, gazing into her dilated pupils, the scent of weed filling your nose.

“mhm…” She grunts. Ellie shoves you down onto the mattress, pulling off her own jumper to reveal her discoloured sports bra then continues to unbutton her jeans.

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting a different result.” she mumbles, Her crotch meets your jeans as she drives her lips into yours.

“I’m not insane… but you on the other hand.”

All of a sudden your pants are being tugged off your legs aggressively.

“You just keep comin’ back for more.”

She’s now kissing down your torso, leaving marks on your chest, the top of your supple tits and then your stomach, before she reaches your abdomen.

Her eyes dart up to your face. The face thats looking down at her is lewd and doe eyed, and shes eyeing the mouth thats releasing soft moans and whimpers at the contact of her lips.

“You want me to take care of you baby? Make y’ feel good?”

“Mhm- yes, please els.”

A smirk contorted on her lips as you begged.

“who’s pussy is this? hmm?”

You writhed underneath her, arching your back and pushing your ass up so your cunt would work towards her mouth. Fuck, she knew how to work you up.

“Your- yours! Only yours baby.”

Your designation ignited her fire very obviously, as she dove her mouth, nose and jaw into you, lapping at your cunt like she had been dehydrated for hours in the Sahara desert.

Although you could hardly understand what dirty talk she was sputtering as you seen stars and heard nothing but white noise, you could still smell the weed. It infiltrated every sense except from the orgasm building up in your core.

“Cum for me pretty girl.”

[whitecatlegend]

Chapter 153 (Highs and lows of life are inseparable)

First | Previous || Chapter 153 || Next Master post

Apologies for the wait! This chapter was unexpectedly hard - poetry often is, but this time it was poetry that hasn't been translated into English fully, and quite a complicated one at that. I admittedly did not expect that when I promised to try and post two chapters at once a month ago...

The song in the second half of the chapter is an excerpt from Luo Binwang's The Imperial Capital, a somewhat well-known example of the genre of capital poems.

Luo Binwang and Wu Zetian had... a history. He used to hold an official position in Chang'an, but criticized Wu Zetian quite a bit and was eventually demoted and sent away from the capital (that was in 684, before Wu Zetian was crowned Emperor and moved the capital to Luoyang). After that, he wrote a particularly scathing declaration against her as part of a resistance against her rule (It starts with "The wrongfully ruling Lady Wu has a disagreeable temper and a dishonorable ancestry," and kind of goes downhill from there; it's quite an interesting piece the translation to which you can find in Luo Binwang's wikipedia article).

Luo Binwang was killed in the resistance, but Wu Zetian was both rather amused by the aforementioned declaration and impressed by his other work, so she was the one who ordered for his writings to be published.

After making the translation, I still had to cut it down to fit into the speech bubbles, but here is a rough full version of these lines with an equally rough commentary (take it with a slight grain of salt - I'm hardly an expert):

In summer mornings, the wine gourds fill the air with hundreds of smells, In autumn nights, exquisite lanterns are dimly lit.

(The commentaries seem to agree that these lines refers to singing, dancing and indulging in the illusion of pleasure-seeking; I'll take their word for it)

Emerald green curtains do not shine alone, The voice and the zither depend on one another.

Zither here is actually a se - a 25- or 16-stringed instrument similar to a zither. The curtains need lanterns to bring out the color, same as music is most pleasant when there is both a voice and a musical instrument.

Remembering thirty-six thousand days of being right, Rather than knowing the mistakes of the past forty-nine years.

This one's trickier. 36000 days is roughly 100 years, a human lifetime; 49 years of mistakes is a reference to Zang Boyu - a Wei state minister, who is famous for saying how at 50 years old he remembered the mistakes of the past 49 years. I can't quite figure out if it's meant to be praise or admonishment; it looks like this poem in general somewhat struggles with conveying clearly if it's praising or condemning the kind of things it's describing. For some more information, I will have to send you to The Poetry of the Early Tang by Stephen Owen - it's an old book, but it seems to still be held in high regard by modern researchers.

Since ancient times glory and fame were like floating clouds, You cannot split off the highs and lows of human life.

And that's the passage I can't take credit for! Kept Owen's translation here since he provided it in his book, these lines seem self-explanatory.

"I established the dynasty" - while Wu Zetian's official rule is generally viewed in the context of the Tang dynasty, reminder that she technically established her own Zhou dynasty of which she is the only ruler.

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

from this post of mine receive this comment:

@relativestranger85 Please help. I'm in the UK and have a pseudo none verbal 7 year old and idk what aac is. The only things we've ever been offered is pecs which he absolutely does not like. (If you don't know pecs is pictures on a velcro board)

thank you for trust me with this question! try answer best i can. i know a lot abt AAC and nonverbal now and struggle with speech communication entire life but! not born nonverbal, so please take what i say grain of salt.

(gonna also tag @birdofmay , hope that okay, especially on perspective of nonverbal since birth & didn’t become aware of people & surroundings & communication until later? some nonverbal people very aware of surrounding since young, while others are very opposite. the “not aware” perspective am not good resource since i Don’t Remember.)

also, am in US, so not very familiar with UK laws. you may need to look into it. but even then not familiar with US laws - not lawyer.

AAC:

AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication. has many forms. low tech AAC is like communication book, picture cards, PECS is a form of low tech AAC (talk more abt later)! high tech AAC is probably what people think of, an iPad or a dedicated communication device that generates voice. with iPad, can download / buy AAC apps on it on your own.

in US, public schools or schools that receive federal funding is i think required to give students who need it an evaluation with speech therapist, which can include AAC evaluation. some schools may not like to do it may not do it on their own because high tech AAC device expensive, but it is your right as parents & your child’s right, should 100% ask and push if school resist. getting AAC device through school is through education perspective—does child need this for education success. if AAC device approved, you may get to keep it (ideal) but also may have to keep in school or give back to school once leave (not ideal). now, don’t know if same in UK.

in US, can also get high tech AAC device covered through insurance. speech therapist do evaluation on what AAC app and device best fit, then submit to insurance. if insurance covers it, it’s yours, get to keep. insurance look through a “medically necessary” perspective. again, don’t know if same in UK with NHS (i think that what it called).

otherwise, can also buy an iPad or android device and download/buy AAC apps on there. many AAC users have made list of good & robust apps recommendation, will link below. however, AAC apps can get expensive, and some most popular apps only support ios/iPad.

either way, really do recommend find speech therapist who specializes in AAC to help, if can afford & have someone near you. it’s possible to do it on own, but can be difficult. but sometimes also bad speech therapists give wrong advice or not up do date info, so either way recommend do own research. can be really really overwhelming, please take one step at a time.

important things to mention is using AAC does not hinder mouth speech development. in some ways it actually helps! doesn’t mean your child will always catch up and become fully verbal when older (happens sometimes, but not often). but really, goal for child is to give them way to communicate. speech is not inherently better form of communication, just more normalized. i know it can be hard to believe, because so many people say other wise, even clinicians! but really. communication is most important. speech just a form of communication.

sometimes nonverbal people struggle with more than just speech. may not speak because of many reasons. may be struggle with communication as a whole, expressive and/or receptive language disorders, maybe motor skills (childhood apraxia of speech), maybe not aware that sounds people make is communication, maybe not aware of people, maybe not aware they can & should communicate, maybe not understand. here is something i wrote about it, it not directed at parents but more so other lower support needs speaking autistics, but think info may be helpful, because know why child nonverbal can help with target intervention.

AAC, especially robust AAC apps, can be extremely overwhelming to even adults. if you as parent overwhelmed by amount of information and amount of buttons, it’s okay, it happens. may feel like running out of time, but time you take to learn to make sure support child in helpful way and time you take to rest is not wasted time.

there is always more to things write here. here is a more comprehensive thing (but of course, still missing things because cannot write everything):

a reddit post i once wrote to parents abt AAC (prefer for people to not dig through this reddit since don’t like use now)

additional:

once wrote a tumblr post with many AAC info and words by AAC user. lots of information so may be overwhelming so specifically highlight these things for you (semi-ranked):

genuinely the best intro to AAC resource out there, if read nothing else please please read all of this: https://www.assistiveware.com/learn-aac

a facebook group ask me, i’m an AAC user! (24 hour rule) - really recommend if want other AAC user perspective, and after 24 hours of a post, may also hear from parents of AAC users, SLPs/speech therapists, etc.

tiktok user AverageMillenial18 - an autistic parent to an nonspeaking autistic AAC user child. talks about own parenting experience, especially a lot of AAC modeling (very important!!!!) and presume competence. genuinely helpful, not just “silly tiktok bad.”

aac apps: a personal opinion review of AAC apps i tried, another thing of mine, not mine but All About AAC: A Guide to Augmentative and Alternative Communication Options!

gave you lots of information already, probably already overwhelmed you. hope didn’t come off too strong. remember it okay to take it slow.

p.s. you mention using PECS (picture exchange communication system). am assuming you talking abt the actual PECS system and not just picture exchange cards. (PECS is a type of picture exchange card with rules and stuff)

not here to say “PECS worst don’t use PECS” because don’t know your situation. think there more nuance than that. but do think you deserve know multiple perspective—the specific PECS system can have issues and problems, a professional explains here better. give you this so you can make informed decision! not here to shame you, many parents not given all information, you clearly care very much and want best for your child, and also - may still see improvements even if harmful elements, because not binary black and white. but considering you say he does not like, maybe sign that PECS not work out great with him.

hope you and your child the best and please, if have any questions feel free ask.

[chirp-a-chirp]

Court of Darkness: The Battle of Facial Hair*

*I wrote this story while hopped up on cold meds. So take this crack-fic with a grain of salt. Enjoy the horribly edited photo.

Description: A rumor spreads (from Vane knows where) throughout Saligia that a royal’s future prospects and strength can be determined by the amount of facial hair he possesses. How does this impact the princes?

Tags: Humor; crack; fluff; (brief mc mention using they/them pronouns)

Word Count: ~1250

…

GUY and TOA

Jasper receives a letter from the Avari royal court. He reads the contents to Guy.

Jasper: King Roc has grown a magnificent beard since you last saw him. The ladies of the court find his Majesty even more attractive than usual.

Guy: …

Guy: He has never lacked for female company.

Jasper: His Highness suggests you grow a beard as a sign of Avari strength.

Guy: *Scoffs* Suggests?

Jasper: Perhaps suggests is an inaccurate word. Here is the royal decree—you will begin growing your beard now.

Guy: Bah.

Jasper: Please tell me how a beard feels. I might endeavor to use one on my upcoming missions.

Guy: You’re enjoying my misery far too much.

Jasper: Impossible sir. *Smirks*

Two weeks later, Guy sports a very thick, luxurious black beard. It is neatly trimmed, complete with sideburns and mustache. As Avari fangirls oooh and aaaah over Guy’s facial locks in a hallway, Toa walks by.

Toa: How like Avari to be swept up by a rumor. Qelsum would never succumb to such a pathetic attempt at a power display.

Knight: Toa! Toa! An express letter has come from Qelsum!

Toa: *Reads letter, eyes widening ever so slightly. His eyes flicker to Guy and then back at the letter*

Toa: …the royal court cannot be serious.

Guy: What was that about pathetic power displays mongrel? Heh Heh Heh. *Walks away*

Within the next few weeks, Toa has a long, thin, deep blue goatee. The Qelsum royal court feared the consequences of Guy displaying a full beard without a Qelsan counterpoint—and as this display did not involve a direct magical competition against Avari, the Qelsan court insisted Toa grow out his own facial hair.

As much as Toa does not want to admit it, the goatee does have advantages. His chin and upper lip were much warmer with a layer of hair covering it; dignitaries were in such awe at the power conveyed that numerous agreements advantageous to Qelsum were given; and teaching had become easier as his goatee conveyed an air of authority that made even the most unruly students obedient.

The fangirls for Toa and Guy are louder than usual, all insisting THEIR prince had the more magnificent facial hair. Clearly, the fullness and thickness of Guy’s beard conveyed his superiority—no, no, the Toa-sters insisted, Toa’s long beautiful goatee showcased Qelsum’s might better. Guy and Toa grumble at the comments and at one another frequently, both embarrassed at the farcical turn the situation had taken. But until their kingdoms release them from their hairy obligation, the facial hair remains.

MC: What IS it with people’s obsession over size?

Fenn: It’s not the size that counts Treasure. It’s how you use it.

Speaking of how you use it…

FENN and ROY

Fenn: I say Roy, you’re not participating in this facial hair competition?

Roy: Why, no. I prefer the clean-cut look. It suits my purposes.

Fenn: *Smirks* You can’t grow a full-beard, can you?

Roy: *Smiles bigger* I did not say that, Master Fenn.

Fenn: You didn’t have to Roy.

Roy: And is there a reason why you’re only growing a mustache?

Fenn: It suits my purposes equally well. Or so I’ve been told. *Wink*

Fenn grows a long twirling lavender mustache. The mustache, while not particularly full, has the remarkable ability to grow and shrink several feet at Fenn’s discretion, like magical retractable hairy vines. It becomes an extension of Fenn himself—for better and worse.

Female student one: My date with Prince Fenn was absolutely divine!

Female student two: So was mine. A night with Prince Fenn is like being caressed with two sets of arms!

Fenn: Are you two comparing notes? May I join you? *His mustache elongates and tickles the ear of each student*

Students: Oooooh!

Roy is incapable of growing a full beard. He CAN, however, maintain a 5 o’clock shadow on his face. This beard stubble is very light in color—so light, it can only be seen if one were mere inches from his face. Roy uses this fact to his advantage.

Roy: Did I miss a spot while shaving Heartspell? *Nuzzles his face against MC’s cheek and neck*

MC: Roy! I’ve told you that tickles!

Roy: Yes, your point being…? *Continues to nuzzle their increasingly red neck*

MC: I didn’t want to resort to this, but these are MY leg hairs…

Roy: Oh you are quite the devious little…*starts laughing as MC lifts the fabric up from Roy’s pants and rubs their leg against Roy’s exposed shin*

Grayson walks up to Roy’s door. Upon hearing dual voices laughing from within, he turns to the diplomat next to him. “My apologies, it appears Prince Roy is indisposed.” Grayson barely withholds the word AGAIN.

RIO and LYNT

Rio, Lynt, Sherry, and MC eat in the dining hall. Sherry asks if Rio and Lynt intend to grow out their facial hair.

Lynt: *Shrugs* It’s too much a bother. I am a Prince whether there is or is not hair on my face.

Rio: Nope. The only hair that grows on me and my dad is on our heads. Not that it makes a difference—dad’s the best king there is!

Sherry: You two are the only ones that show any common sense.

Rio: Roy’s an S:Rank and he doesn’t appear to be taking this rumor seriously.

MC: *Rubs their neck, muttering* Yeah, APPEARS.

Knight ambles over with a tray of food. Suddenly, he jumps in the air.

Knight: OI! Keep your hands off me you—! *Rubs his backside*

Fenn: *Smiles cheekily while retracting his mustache* My hands didn’t touch you, did they, dear Knight?

LOU and the PRINCES

Lou summons the princes to his office. Guy and Toa glare at one another miserably while scratching their faces. Fenn twirls one side of his mustache while lightly massaging Lynt’s hair with his other mustache half.

Lou: I suppose you all would like to know who has won my facial hair competition.

Guy: *Eyes widen* …

Toa: YOU started this ridiculous rumor?! *Lou’s familiars, Phinny and Nix, resignedly nod their feathered heads*

Lou: I have written to each of your fathers to announce the winner—

Rio: Wait, where’s Lance?

Toa: He hasn’t shown up to class for days.

Lou: The winner of this contest is—*at this precise moment, Lance casually enters the office* Master Ira!

The princes stare in bewilderment as Lance opens the door. He hasn’t been seen in four days, but in that short time he has gone from clean shaven to a full dark purple lumberjack-style beard. Lance has spent the past few days with the child Christoph. He’s just arrived from reading Christoph a series of Saligian fairytales—including a reenactment of the brave woodsman (complete with full beard—grown to amuse the boy). Lance reveals none of this as he glares at Lou.

Lance: What utter rot. *Leaves and closes the door*

Lou: Oh well, I’ll give him his prize later. *Turns to the other princes* As the contest has ended, I’ve informed the kings you no longer need to participate if that is your desire.

Guy immediately removes his beard with magic, muttering “Ridiculous.” Toa sighs deeply and leaves without another word. As the other princes leave, Lou calls out.

Lou: Master Invidia! MC has been sporting high collared shirts as of late. Have they caught a chill? The visiting diplomat was quite worried on their behalf.

Roy: *Smiles* Rest assured, I will take care of them.

[bisexualdinahlance]

can you explain the Casey McQuiston thing a little further? I'm pretty brand new to the rwrb fandom and not familiar

There's been rumors for years in the RWRB fandom and outside of it that Casey McQuinston used to be on tumblr and was a fic writer for the Social Network/Social Network RPF fandom. Further, there was a lot of rumors that RWRB was SN RPF with the serial numbers filed off. The original tumblr account people say was Casey I'm pretty sure is either gone or dead now, and the fanfic author that people say they are took down their fics years ago. It's very possible that that person was Casey, but like without them fessing up there's no way to know for sure.

Someone on Youtube did a whole video essay deep dive into investigating the accounts, and even read the fic people claim RWRB is based on. The conclusion the video essayist came to was that she thought the author was Casey but that the fic was nothing like RWRB. (Which of course it wasn't lmao, the intro to the book literally talks about how they wrote it during and after the 2016 election - several years after the fics were deleted.) There's a good chance she's right, but while some of the reasoning is good, one of the reasons was literally that both authors "inserted their media opinions superfluously" into the story that broke their immersion because both authors made fun of "blonde women [the video essayist] liked" lol. So I take the conclusion with a grain of salt even if the investigation work was good.

Anyone who has read the book I'm sure can tell that Casey probably wrote fanfiction, but it's pretty clear to me that it's not lol. It just has tropes and dynamics that are popular in fandom spaces, as well as some specific turns of phrases. Which isn't a bad thing lol, RWRB is my guilty pleasure fave, I adore it even if it feels a bit lib in the current political climate.

I doubt that Casey ever saw the rumors - for a while it was mostly just snarky tumblr or reddit comments that brought it up to prove moral superiority over not liking the book. But it's still frustrating to me that like an author is essentially being haunted reputationally by fanfic they might or might not have written as a teenager/college student. Even the fanlore page for the book is completely overtaken by people speculating that it's a fanfiction. I would be PISSED if I got published, and everyone claimed my books were Harry Potter fanfiction because I used to be in the HP fandom in high school and college. And then spread around old fanfiction that I deleted off the internet because I got made fun of for how bad the smut was.

(Part of the "proof" that some people used as to the original fic being RWRB was it was deleted off of LJ but the fanlore page on the actual fic speculates it's because the author was getting bitchy messages about the quality of the smut in the fic.)

Anyway, sorry this wasn't super... coherent I have a lot of opinions on the subject. the TL;DR is that Casey might have been a BNF in the Social Network fandom, and because of that people speculated that they turned one of their SNRPF's into RWRB. It's pretty clear that they didn't do that, but these rumors have haunted the fandom for years because people keep spreading them like they're fact.

And I think authors should be allowed to keep their fandom separate from their professional work exactly because of shit like this lol.

[princess-of-the-corner]

Hi it's been a while, I'm the P5-MHA anon. I didn't forget about sending stuff I've just been busy. I looked through your ml persona AU tag and saw the arcana list and I have some notes. I assume you are gonna rework these anyway like you said but, here are my ideas for a ml persona AU arcana. Also one thing about the world arcana, usually there is no-one associated with it. It's more symbolic of the fool finally reaching the end of their journey, but you don't have to follow the trend of course.

Fool- Marinette, Magician- Nino, High Priestess- Alya, Empress- Kagami, Emperor- Luka, Hierophant- Tom and Sabine, Lovers- Rose and Juleka, Chariot- Kim, Justice- Wolfe, Hermit- Nathaniel and Marc, Fortune- Alix, Strength- Mylene and Ivan, The Hanged Man- Adrien, Death- Gabriel, Temperance- Fu, Devil- Lila, The Tower- Chole, The Star- Nathalie, The Moon- Sabrina, The Sun- Max and Markov, Judgement- Ariel, Faith- Zoé, Councilor- Ms. Bustier

I added the new arcana from p5r so everyone on your previous list could have spot plus Zoé. I also added Markov to Max and Marc to Nathaniel.

Of course you can take this list with a grain of salt, cause I don't know how you specifically would write some of the characters. If you have questions about the placements feel free to call me out and I'll try to give my reasonings. Oh and some of your picks were inspired btw, I always forget that some social links/confidants are filled by 2 people.

Fair!

Honestly my plan when I wrote that was back when we were in Season 2-3(so Zoé didn't exist yet lmao), and I know my plans were based more off who fit the meanings of the various Arcana rather than what the Arcana translate to in P5