#it was very edifying

[theroseempress]

I drew a Kuvira!

I wanted to practice shading here, and honestly this was a blast to draw.

Really pleased with how this came out!

[veliseraptor]

sometimes i wonder if certain...people who hate characters...spend more time thinking about them than people who like them. like, sometimes it seems very much this kate beaton comic

and you just. you know. gotta wonder what they're getting out of it

[slaviclore]

"After 1864, the absurd situation was reached in Warsaw where Polish teachers had to use Russian as the means of instruction for teaching Polish to Polish children (in accordance with the official myth that Polish was a 'foreign' language)."

And, regarding an individual dishonorably dismissed from the military:

"The charges against him mentioned that he had spoken in Polish in public, and that he had danced the Polonaise."

Norman Davies, God's Playground vol 2, on the forced russification of partitioned Poland

[underdark-dreams]

uhm, hi! quick question (:

are you aware that your fics live in my mind rent free, consume my soul, fill my dreams and plague me with the knowledge i will not take another breath for the forseable future without thinking about Rolan?

so anyway, have a good day ~

Fainting, crying, wailing. Rolling around in my tears. 😭 Is this a good or a bad thing? Have I cursed you like the babadook? To be honest, more Rolan enjoyers couldn’t possibly be a bad thing. And I feel really lucky to know other people love him as much as I do!!

I've said this before, but Rolan's character got me writing again for the first time in years. I'm so grateful for all the talented writers at Larian, for George Taylor's amazing VA work, for all the mocap and animation teams who brought this lovable grump to life. I can't remember the last time I connected with a character this way. Definitely wouldn’t be writing right now if not for Rolan. Knowing other people care about him just as much gives me such a warm fuzzy feeling inside!

[moonmoonthecrabking]

this is a very personal post but fuck it. i would honestly be a lot more inclined to take my mother's non-affirming theology seriously if she didn't say to me in 2022, the same year she was being treated as a historical authority during [redacted], that she didn't believe bisexual men existed. flat out. because... many men in the ancient world were very much what we consider bisexual, and it is a considerable portion of what the new testament clobber passages are based on. so, therefore, i can't take her historical basis of non-affirming theology as true because there are inherent flaws with her understanding of queer identity that mean she's not sufficiently looking at the context of these passages. in my opinion.

of course, i can't say this, because 1. why should i remember that conversation and 2. why should i care.

fuck the [redacted] and fuck any implication that pride is not a necessity, even in progressive countries.

[gothhabiba]

as someone whos only really good at understanding/speaking arabic dialect (and a mish-mash of two dialects at that, lmao) the way people will demand that you disregard any non-fusha interpretation of the language or remember that its not "proper" arabic drives me NUTS like that is not a useful thing to tell anyone and it certainly didn't make me want to learn fusha more than just strengthening my dialect skills when i was taking it in school!!

the idea that anyone could find it useful to be able to talk to people rather than like, go to business school or whatever, is I suppose surprising to them

[butyoucouldberadiant]

So today, I was upset that Wendy from Peter Pan wasn’t listed as an INFJ on a Myers-Briggs app, so I took the Myers-Briggs quiz, putting in what I thought was true of her.

She got INFJ.

I will be riding on this high for a solid week. That is all you really need to know about me.

[justthatspiffy]

watch the ballad of buster scruggs on netflix if you want to be sad and troubled for maybe the rest of your life

[ivan-fyodorovich-k]

sigh

a new concept: idiot academia

where u have book smarts but have absolutely no common sense

[agnellolabs]

Apparently, 17yo Pippa was planning a "Can a woman have a family and a career... AS A SUPERHERO?" plot line with Jeanine, and anyways, that is not what's happening with her anymore just FYI.

[harmonysanreads]

Playing Dress Up

ᯓᡣ𐭩 ft. Sunday, Aventurine, Dr Ratio, Blade

Heads up: Female!Reader, Possessive Behaviors, Very Self Indulgent

-; ੈ♡˳ SUNDAY

Sunday seeks refinement in every aspect of his life, this does not fail to extend to how you'll dress yourself while tied to his prestige as well. Sifting and digging through uncountable articles on women's fashion, extensive research on sources to make his vision come to life — Sunday hadn't even put this much effort into drafting his own style. What beget this initiative is rooted in his innate desire to make your connection to him clear through means sans saying it outright, though he'd much rather present it as his attempt in searching for a style that is uniquely yours ; which he does wish for to a degree, not to fret.

Your clothing will be weaved from scratch with the finest threads, silk and satin will be cut, folded and stitched to perfection. Even the measurements of your clothing will be penned down by the man himself : skirts must be of moderate length, not too long or too short and necklines must be modest. Said attires will be painted in shades of white, blue and gold ; his colors in short. But anything under these graceful dresses will be sleek black, a secret that'll never meet the public eye. The motifs of his halo will be skillfully engraved on the canvas that is you ; woven on the dresses, tempered in jewelry to adorn your hair and ears and not even your shoes will be spared.

The principle Sunday follows throughout this charade is complexity through simplicity. While one might think you'd look much like an over-groomed poodle after this, the gentle elegance of the reality will surprise even you. That is because Sunday practices caution in areas that are easy to complicate, jewelry for example. He's partial to earrings, bracelets, brooches and hair ornaments — not necklaces as he prefers the unobstructed beauty of your decolletage. Even those few ornaments are not gaudy in design, selected exclusively to accompany than to steal the stage. But the stones, diamonds and pearls he orders to be embedded in them are far precious than they initially suggest. After all, you deserve nothing but the best.

Most of Sunday's struggle was concentrated in the makeup area, for which, he had before anything else, scheduled an appointment with a dermatologist. Only when he had a detailed report on what products would suit your skin and what would harm you did he place the orders. Sunday thinks this endeavor to be much like conducting an orchestra : not all will understand why the conductor standing on the podium spins and twirls the baton, but when the tunes from the instruments unite and bring the melodies to life, it all makes sense.

-; ੈ♡˳ AVENTURINE

Aventurine has no patience for subtlety and employs bold tactics to get his message across. Should someone be naive enough to interrogate the man himself in his extravagant displays, he'll be unflinching in his reasoning as well. No amount of zeroes attached to the price tags or repeated cursory glances from passerbys will deter him in his shopping spree and should you complain about the mounting amount of bags — well, he has two perfectly functioning arms and adjacent shoulders sparkling in their vacancy, doesn't he? Your job is to just point out what catches your eyes, sweetheart.

The Stoneheart has discovered a sweet spot for matching since you entered his life ; which will materialize in earrings, bracelets, rings, hats, sunglasses, coats, chokers and the list goes on. Even though he gives you fair chances in choosing your attire, he'll not so discreetly sneak in pieces that'll reek of him. In occasions where this charade gets spectated by more than two pairs of eyes, Aventurine is less teasing and more edified in his intentions. Blue, pink and emerald coating fabrics that expose more than they cover will mock wanton eyes and they'll say loud and clear — this will never be yours.

Aventurine's favorite part has to be picking the perfumes for you. If you already have preferences, he'll scout the finest brand of that fragrance and make sure no other being in the expanding universe will be able to acquire it from then onwards. It just so happens that he also sees the importance of securing something that is uniquely you. If you're indecisive about perfumes, then even better! You can be doused in the fragrances he indulges in, keep no doubt that they'll be tasteful.

All this glamour might give the impression that Aventurine never allows you or himself to ever be stripped of the fanciful, glimmering and glittering layers oozing with the repute of uncountable credits. However, you were pleasantly surprised to find his lax attitude concerning your nightwear. You did not see any flickers of that ravenous flame concealed beneath enigmatic smiles even if you wore something bruised and tattered by time or, if you stole something from his wardrobe upon a random urge. Perhaps in moments overlooked by the light of distant stars, he treasures above all the sight of you in your most natural state, and wishes he could indulge in the same vulnerability as well.

-; ੈ♡˳ DR RATIO

The prodigious Veritas Ratio loves watching you get dressed, although there's a scarce chance of him openly admitting to his shameless ogling. Ironically, his genius receives negative marks when he tries to search for a rational reason as to why he continues regardless of your teasing — which, just so happen to never have sufficient burn to deter him for good. There's an odd sense of peace in spectating you building your look, in the movements of various tools and scattered, dexterous hand gestures. To him, it's almost synonymous to sculpting ; shaping something unremarkable to a display of skill and artistry.

Ratio thinks studious scholars should never limit their perspectives, which is why he tries to broaden his agenda with new experiences constantly — or at least, that's the excuse he ultimately settles on. He's yet to tell you of this, but he's certain he's acquired quite the quantity of knowledge on makeup from his observations. He knows the difference between foundations and concealers, in which order the cosmetics are applied and has a decent understanding about shades and highlights. It's safe to say, you can rely on him on this matter should there ever arise such an occasion.

When it comes to clothing, Ratio appears to be quite indecisive, form fitting or loose, he has no issues. The area where he is particularly strict, is hygiene. Which means no missed baths, or any half-hearted showers. After he's found himself comfortable in your presence, he'll take personal initiative to make sure your baths are never boring. Fragrant body washes, essential oils, exquisite rose water, bath bombs, shampoos — he has it all covered. Another astounding discovery for the scholar was that he adores taking care of your hair, in particular. He always takes extra caution when washing it, buys smoother combs so that it might not get damaged and occasionally tries different hairstyles — though he's not very skilled at it. But learning has never been an effortless process to begin with, he's sure he'll be able to decorate your hair the way he desires properly one day.

-; ੈ♡˳ BLADE

Blade seldom comments on your choice of attire, but it doesn't mean that he never thinks about it. He prefers to dismiss most of those bubbling thoughts, for what does a weapon understand of fashion senses and trends? What he does offer you instead are drawling stares tiptoeing before the line of glares. Insufficient time knowing the enigmatic Stellaron Hunter will prove your inefficiency in understanding his brooding gazes. Should you directly ask his opinion on a certain outfit, it'll not earn you more than a grunt or a hum. But coming from Blade, that would be considered a lot.

In truth, Blade finds himself bewildered before the feelings you stir within him through the most mundane actions. He was certain that wanton emotions, urges and his humanity were devoured by the curse. For centuries, he wandered without a definitive purpose, stewing in the rage and hatred bubbling from his fate. Above all, he did not think himself human. So when you, in all your bright and humane light dug through the battered cage of his ribs and made yourself its soul resident, tugging him closer closer closer towards that tunnel's end through seemingly meaningless antics — Blade was lost.

It made him afraid sometimes, for the unreachable end that he always clawed towards seemed to lose its appeal before you. When he realized one day that he liked lighter colors on you, that he enjoyed watching you practice a hairstyle for hours, that he loved how your lips shimmer after a swipe of lip gloss, that he'd not trade the matching tassels you gifted him on a whim for the universe — the appalling realization that living is just a tiny bit more bearable with you around crashed on his beliefs and destroyed him beyond repair. Which is why, for the longest time, he didn't know how to respond to any of your gestures ; far too occupied with processing whether its the talons of mara digging into his sanity or just plain pleasant emotions.

Blade is often irresolute when you ask for his opinion on your clothing, not because he has not the faintest idea of what is considered appealing but because, you just look good in everything in his eyes. There's a particular garment though, form fitting Qipao with cheeky side slits that had him run the first time you wore it. Only after Kafka's reassurance that no, it isn't his mara was he able to gather the courage to approach you again. In conclusion, be prepared for every possible outcome when you're dolling yourself up for Blade.

[dadrielle]

(said tweeter is here too if you wanna give her a follow ;) )

MATTHEW MERCER ULTIMATE IMOGEN UNDERSTANDER SO TRUE...

[linearao3]

So, a little while back, @pyrrhlc very graciously offered to send me a copy of Child Ballad he had bound, and naturally I was very hyped to accept this offer but (a) I live on the other side of the Atlantic, and (b) any packages I receive at my home address must go through my super, who is both daffy and an asshole, and has kept packages from me for time spans ranging from a week to three months to “denying he ever saw it,” so I was hesitant. But I worked out with my friend who lives in a nicer building that it could be delivered c/o her, so I was very excited about that.

Then there was some trivial misadventuring with the USPS, so I had to ask my friend to go fetch it from the post office for me. “It’s very pleasing to the eye!” she texted me, and I ran uptown to behold the wonder.

Now, the box was slightly bigger than I had anticipated, but I was initially just thinking I didn’t think Child Ballad was that long but I too would be worried about sending intricately-made art over the ocean so extra packing makes sense and joining my friend in admiring the box.

Please note the pattern of the paper. (I actually recognized it from a tumblr post of pyrrhlc’s.)

My friend and I carefully unwrapped it, at which point, she said, “you should make an unboxing video!” and I was not about to wait long enough to do anything that fancy but I did take pictures and look:

WHAT

WHAT

Friends. Comrades. Seen here now at home on my desk:

FOUR BOOKS.

Four extremely beautiful books! Plus an enclosed note with a handsome crow (the books are from the Black Crow Bindery!) which contains kind words about my fics and also edifying facts about the patterns on the covers! The Service Work ones are based on wallpaper from the 1880s! They all have pretty ribbons and handsome Baskerville typeface!

The two Service Work books also have these pretty metal corner guards which probably have a technical name I am unaware of! Tumblr won’t let me add more pictures! You can kind of see them in the others, though!

They are all very beautiful! I am very grateful! Please admire @pyrrhlc’s artistry in this as well as in his writing! I am admiring them on my bookshelf as I speak!

[gothhabiba]

yeah I need to re-institute the rules I had for what I would and would not engage with back when this site was last truly popping

[frodo-a-gogo]

I would also like to note here that i consider people's response to evrart claire being more negative on the whole than their response to joyce messier to be indicitive of successful writing/commentary on the za/um writers's part. Namely that *harry* tends to like joyce better in terms of kneejerk response (which is, if anything, further indictment of joyce lol). I consider harry and the general audience's comparative preference of joyce to evrart to be indicitive of the obstructing veil of respectability and prestige that seperates the claires and the rest of us dirtfolk from the messiers of the world so to speak.

Joyce has money. Shes got an old-money background i think. Shes aging gracefully, shes athletic and knowledgable enough to be sailing her personal ship across the pale without any evident assistance, she cuts a very dashing, trim figure. Shes got cool stuff, shes got good taste. Shes funny and charming and well spoken. All signifiers of her class status. Even her self assuredness is just the birthright of old money and the result of financial and social stability, lets be real here.

Claire is ugly, according to traditional standards. Hes obese and disabled with a wonky eye and big fucking glasses and hes greasy and hes balding. Hes vulnerable, physically in that his mobility has been severely compromised by his disability and weight. He is vulgar. His accent is grating and course, his voice is not soft. He is, like harry, someone who is grotesque in the Bakhtinian sense of the word. They are both men indelibly marked by poverty. Shaped by it. Dying from its knockon effects in the slow way that formative impoverishments tend to kill.

Hes obstructive and kind of offputting in his interactions with harry where joyce is amicable and easy. This is all cus of his *position*. Hes ugly and hes damaged where joyce is easy on the eyes and self reliant because *she comes from money and he comes from poverty* and because *she serves the interests of capital and he serves the interests of the union*. Of course hes meaner to you than joyce is- youre a goddamn cop and evrarts the head of a striking labor union. Do you know what cops historically have been tasked with doing to labor unions??? Of course joyce is cool and fun and gently amused. Youre a fucking cop. Do you know what corporate mediators and cops have in common in relation to labor unions? Theyre an oppositional force working in tandem to disempower this coalition of workers- shes the carrot and youre the stick its as simple as that.

So like its no ones fault per-se that people tend to find evrart more offputting- hes written that way on purpose. Its accurate. Common people *are* often uglier and meaner and more offputting than the wealthy. Of course we fucking are. They can pay for healthcare and ease and fun cool hobbies. We can't. We have childhood illnesses that progress to actively disabling illness cus we couldnt afford the preventative and managing medicines. We are addicts because we self medicate cus healthcare wasnt available. We watch our friends get sick the way old people do- the way young people arent supposed to- because none of us can take care of ourselves the way we need to and no one can take care of us. We are vulgar we arent trained to do things well we are autodidacts at absolute best and at worst we are incompetent because the money to refine whatever interests we possessed was simply not there. Like cuno or cindy or the rave kids if we have talents they are coarse. We, on the whole, cannot afford vehicles or skincare routines or silk scarves. We are less cultured we are aging faster and more. We are suffering and less inclined to be droll. We are angry because we know all that and see it every day.

I think its good that the writing encourages you to examine the perversity of these differences. Joyce is *genuinely* a much more charming, attractive individual than evrart. Does that make her better? Does that make her right? I think the reason these two are often framed as being somewhat narratively equivalent is because they *are* but i dont think people should then make a moral equivalence. Joyce is defending corporate interests and threatening fascist violence. And all her appealing traits derive from the benefits of wealth. Evrart is defending his labor union. *imperfectly*- but thats what hes doing. Most of his bad traits spring from the sheer impossibility of that task and most of his ugly traits are born from poverty. Thats not irrelevant.

Let us be brutally honest with ourselves and with eachother for a moment. If he weren't obese you motherfuckers would be capable of percieving evrart claires sexy sexy moral ambiguity and complex charms

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Word List: Will Graham

Adjuvant - serving to aid or contribute; auxiliary

Advertency - the quality or state of being advertent; heedfulness

Anamnesis - a recalling to mind; reminiscence

Complaisant - tending to consent to others' wishes

Conniption - a fit of rage, hysteria, or alarm

Conversance - the quality or state of being conversant (i.e., having knowledge or experience—used with "with"; archaic: having frequent or familiar association)

Copacetic - very satisfactory

Cotton - to take a liking—used with "to"; to come to understand—used with "to" or "on to"

Design - to conceive and plan out in the mind

Dolce - soft, smooth—used as a direction in music

Dulcet - sweet to the taste; generally pleasing or agreeable

Edifying - instructive or informative in a way that improves the mind or character

Emprise - an adventurous, daring, or chivalric enterprise

Farouche - marked by shyness and lack of social graces

Finagle - to obtain (something) by indirect or involved means

Habitude - archaic: native or essential character

Inhesion - the condition of being inherent in something

Kaiseki - a highly ritual Japanese meal characterized by small portions, subtle flavors, artful presentation, and an emphasis on fresh seasonal ingredients

Lamb - a gentle or weak person; dear

Moonstruck - affected by or as if by the moon: such as romantically sentimental

Ornery - difficult to deal with or control

Radicate - to cause to take root; plant deeply and firmly

Rapt - lifted up and carried away; transported with emotion; enraptured

Saturnine - cold and steady in mood; slow to act or change

Stilly - in a calm manner; quietly

More: Word Lists