#millennial sword

[storyteller-signz]

Due in time, some of us are bound to come back to the mess we made in time and hope it sorted out. See you space cowboy!

Note: These chords are hella in progression :3

[bywandandsword]

I wish i knew and queer people irl who were into drag or more generally connected with the queer scene around here

I know three other queer people on a level above acquaintance, one is still deprogramming from an evangelical upbringing and hasn't gotten to the level that she can comfortably engage with this stuff, one is as introverted as I am and ain't from around here, and the other is only connected to the queer community in New York

But I don't feel comfortable just going looking alone, especially in places were alcohol is involved, knowing that if something happened there's no one I can call or to tell where I'm going

[i-cant-cast-that-yet]

Y'know, I read a lot of Jiuyuan--or really just anything Shen Jiu in general, and Id like to pitch this idea to the class:

Disciple Shen Jiu who fuckin haaates men, right? Shen Jiu who goes to brothels to sleep bc he just can't around the other boys knowing full well how shit his reputation is bc of it but Fuck You he's gonna do what he has to to get some fucking rest on this shit ass peak of pretentious rich-kids who wouldn't know the tip of their sword from the hilt unless it was jammed in their throats--

Disciple Shen Jiu who's seen just about every flavor of man in the streets both from his nights with his jiejie's and from his time with the Qiu and the slavers, and loathes them with a passion and is, shamefully in his mind, afraid of them.

Standoffish, rude, holier than thou, venom spitting queen with a cruel streak a thinly veiled mile wide, Shen Jiu. A scum villain in the making.

Enter Disciple Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan, in all his millennial transmigrator glory. Hikkikomori ass lame ass chokes on a meatbun and fucking croaks after reading a porn harem web novel for the fucking plot (cough-lbh-cough) Shen Yuan.

This rando ass dude with Shen Jiu's family name--no they aren't related stop asking, Shen Yuan why do you look grossed out do you wanna fight??--

Shen Yuan who doesn't get close to any of his shijie's, bc "Oh they're all gonna be in Bingge's harem at some point, I don't wanna steal the protagonists wives!!"

Shen Yuan, a shut-in nerd in his early to mid 20s, who also shirks any of his shixiong's attention for other reasons. He's not big on sports in the first place, and as cool as swords are they're fucking heavy!!! Where's the training montage skip button, system!?!? All this (ugh) comraderie...he just wants to stay in the library and pretend the scrolls are as interesting as zhongdian was, okay?

Shen Jiu, who sees these avoidant traits in a boy with his name and a face that looks like his and assumes Shen Yuan has the same traumas as him.

He hates men, Shen Yuan included for both the happenstance of his birth and also because he's an idiot, but now he's seeing more of him reflected in this dude and it itches.

Maybe he bullies Shen Yuan like he does Binghe. Maybe Shen Yuan, who isn't actually a teenager in his own head like lbh was and fucking hates the scum villain (he called for castration in one life and he'll do it again!! This life gave him cultivation and a sword, he'll get creative if he has to) fights back.

Puts all that time in the forums to good use and verbally eviscerates the guy. Hits on several sore topics all at once and if it wasn't for the very public scene being caused Shen Jiu might have killed this upstart instead of just throwing a punch and jumping him like he currently is.

And listen. Fighting between peaks is typical. The Qing Jing peak lord of the time could care less if Shen Jiu fights the Liu kid from Bai Zhan--there's history between the peaks as it is. But the two Shens beefing so publically?? That's bad for Qing Jing's image.

Shen Jiu might be hated, but Shen Yuan is adored by several key figures across the sect and this Shizun can't tell if the brat did it on purpose or not but it's troublesome either way. Shen Jiu is here on Zhangmen-shixiong's head disciples request, so she can't get rid of either of them.

So she strategizes. It's like her whole thing.

Qing Jing peak lord-jie sticks the Shen's in the xianxia equivalent of the get along shirt. She makes them go on missions together, do chores together, etc. They'll either snap and kill one another or become friends. She wins either way.

It's bad at first. Blood is drawn, fans are thrown and broken over heads. They're too alike and too different and Shen Jiu sees himself in this kid but also every rich boy who wastes their own potential and privilege that they can't realize they were blessed with and he haaates it. Shen Yuan is pissed bc this ass is cruel and awful but so fucking sympathetic once he's spent enough time around the guy to put some pieces together. Bro loves a problematic blorbo and Binghe was a lot of things in pidw, but the product of Shen Jiu's projection is chief among them and Shen Yuan is getting a whole lot of it right now and it puts a lot into perspective.

...................

This is getting away from me now. It's late. Maybe I'll pick this up later.

[ladylokianna]

Premise: this afternoon, as I was moving some books from my bookshelf, I found an old portfolio full of drawings I used to make in the early 2000s (yeah, i'm a millennial XD), especially during school summer holidays (mostly about Saint Seiya and the original characters I had created about it) and I've had this idea:

Aemond who, in spite of the time his wife spends with Helaena and in spite of knowing how much patience his sister has used to teach his wife to embroider (something of which she is utterly uncapable of), discovers by pure chance that his wife uses that time together with her sister-in-law and nephews both playing with the latter but especially drawing and discovers, in a sort of huge folder in their library, that many of her drawings depict his niece and nephews, Helaena with them and Helaena with Aegon, Alicent and even Vhagar, wondering in curiosity and even with a bit of annoyance, why on earth his wife practically portrays almost his whole family (with some sketches even about seemingly silly details such as the armour of the White Cloaks or the hilt of swords) but she does not also portray him too, only to find himself thinking so much about it that one day he pokes around in his wife's dresser and discovers that into a false drawer there is a chest full of sketches and drawings that are all about him (that she keeps hidden because she's embarassed at the sole idea of showing them to him). Portraits of him in the training courtyard wielding his sword, details of his scar and his sapphire eye, an eerie -but beautiful- portrait of him with both his eyes as if nothing happened that far day at Driftmark, a lot of portrays about his glances, his hands (and i can totally see him wondering why his hands are so important for his wife, so much that she draws them in great detail extolling their veins, even the bones under the thin layer of skin, unaware that they're such a big turn on for her), of him sitting at his desk or reading on his favourite armchair and above all, a lot of drawings that pictured him naked or half-naked in their bed while sleeping. The latter are the drawings that makes him blush, leaving him somewhere in between the flattered and the embarrassed because, accustomed as he is to never being looked at or at any rate used to receiving quick glances of fear at the mere sight of him, he never thought he would be the object of such genuine interest and adoration like: what have i done to deserve this?

awesome divider by @zaldritzosrose

[tamapalace]

KFC Spain Releases Eduardochi, a Fried Chicken Virtual Pet

The nostalgia is real folks! This is not an actual Bandai Tamagotchi, but an interesting promotion to attract the millennials to their nearest KFC restaurant in Spain. KFC Spain recently teased the next generation of Eduardo on their Instagram, who is their chicken mascot, also hyping up the announcement that it will feature cutting-edge technology that will revolutionize the world.

Later announced on their Instagram, the Eduardochi, a fried chicken virtual pet. Sounds delicious?

Featuring 4 buttons (thank goodness not the iconic 3), and shaped like a fried chicken leg, the Eduardochi gives you the ability to choose your character, where you can select from 10 different chicken legs.

image source: AtomicWhiskers on Reddit

Featuring a non-backlit screen, and even includes batteries and a chain! You can nurture it like any other virtual pet, and even accessorize with a cowboy hat, or a sword. There are also two mini games which are catching UFO’s, and Fly with Eduardo.

image source: AtomicWhiskers on Reddit

The only way to obtain an Eduardochi is to place an order on the KFC Spain mobile app. Simply place an order and you’ll have the option to add on Eduardochi for €3.99. Stock will be available starting on November 25th, 2024 until it lasts.

image source: AtomicWhiskers on Reddit

30,000 units were created, and will be distributed by restaurants that adhere to the promotion, and no more than 3 Eduardochi's can be redeemed per person.

image source: AtomicWhiskers on Reddit

KFC Spain even opened up a pop-up store which mimics an Apple Store. The store showcases the Eduardochi, where you can play with it, and even browse for accessories including lanyards.

[jadie-jadie]

Baby's first risograph and it's everyone's favorite sword lesbians! It's also available at my store!

[moonshinesonic-moonstarslight]

Paper Plane's verse

Shared looks between Airplane and OG Shang Qinghua:

Dark brown hair

Dark brown eyes (look black unless the light hits them)

height

same body shape really

Sword nowhere to be seen, daggers tucked in every place they can put them (and somewhere it seems illogical to have a weapon)

Differences between Airplane's and OG Shang Qinghua's looks:

Airplane: hair is always put up in tight braids and in a bun usually neat and tidy unless you catch him on in the middle of tax season chasing down Liu Qingge for paperwork.

dark smears under his eyes (doesn't take as much rest as he should/workaholic millennial)

Sleeves tied close to the wrists, practical clothes at all times, all masculine cuts and styles

only really wears earrings and occasionally a pretty pin for his guan.

light makeup usually a bit of concealer for his eye bags and some eyeliner

OG Shang Qinghua: hair in a half up half down style - to show off the sausage curls more than it being a popular hairstyle among Peak Lords. (Loves his curls. They're the big sausage curls commonly found with Villainess characters. He takes very good care of them in comparison to Airplane who mostly grumbles about his character design choices as he fights the tangles)

healthy complexion (actually sleeps and takes breaks)

loose sleeves, feminine cuts and styles mixed with some masculine styles here and there, elaborate robes that are easily adjusted to become practical if needed (but easy to hide those modifications) [More room for weapons/equipment!]

decorative hair ornaments, dangly earrings, necklaces, and occasionally a ring or some bracelets (tends to have a season theme to match the current time of year)

more makeup than Airplane but still tasteful for an androgynous look: eyeliner, concealer (if needed), face powder, lipstick (usually blood red), ect.

Besides that the two hold themselves differently, Airplane is cold and aloof. Distant and untouchable unless he is playing pathetic and clingy for Mobei Jun (who finds the dichotomy amusing and arousing). Or letting himself be a little bit freer while talking to Cucumber-bro.

Og Shang Qinghua is warmer and seemingly more open. (You're actually safer standing next to Airplane, OG gets a little stab happy.) Dotting and overbearing to his disciples and comes off as a distant uncle you can 'of course' trust to the rest of the sect. More seductive and vicious than Airplane. (Mobei Jun doesn't try getting this version into his bed unless he is positive that there won't be an assassination attempt or that it would be a 'one in done' type of deal. But he does find the mystery of where are the weapons and how will the fool be killed fun and arousing to think about.)

Might add more later. But that's what I got so far~. Going to have to see about making one for my 'in general' differences between the two and not just for a story.

[lynnthefrenchtoast]

scum villain au where between sword training, disciple binghe reads a novel about a futuristic world that has carriages with wheels and without horses, that run on something called "petrol". of letters that are typed on glass screens and sent instantaneously across the world. the protagonist of this fantasy world is a sickly rich millennial

obligatory bonus chapter when transmigrator!lbh finally completes the system storyline and gets shen yuan out of the hospital, and he sees him out of the hospital gown for the first time and... holy shit clothes in this world are so different

[brittle-doughie]

I crawl out of my hole and I stand up

Could you do the ancients dealing with cookies harassing y/n

I crawl back into my hole

(If your okay with that)

This survived the Tumblr consumption, yes.

Pure Vanilla is a benevolent soul, but if he ever were to see you being obviously uncomfortable with another cookie trying to harass you, that is where the line is drawn. He’ll come between you and the cookie, asking what was going on? Regardless of what this cookie says, Pure Vanilla will always take your side and try to shoo the cookie away. If not, well, it wouldn’t hurt to use some of his magic as intimidation…

Hollyberry is already pretty protective of her subjects, so to see you being hassled by another cookie is sure to catch her attention and ire. She’ll hear what the cookie has to say on why they’re coming after you and if she doesn’t deem good enough (not like it ever would be, you didn’t deserve this harassment. Period.), then she’ll ask them to leave. She’ll get incredibly defensive if they’re an aggressive cookie, getting you behind her as she has her shield, ready to bash this cookie’s head in!

Hollyberry is probably the last of the ancients who will at least use words first before they turn agitated. Dark Cacao is already having the sword ready if this annoyance was getting pushy with you, there was no excuse for any sort of harassment towards you! May Millennial Tree bless the harasser if they tried to take on Dark Cacao in a fight, he’ll make sure this insolence pays dearly for their actions

Golden Cheese is in the same camp, nothing is making her greatest treasure uncomfortable and scared on her watch! She’s already getting hostile and lacking of patience with this walking filth of a cookie who was bothering you, she might just send them to the cheese mines if she’s feeling generous. This should be considered a mercy to the harasser who dared try to get at her beloved because she won’t be as merciful in a little bit if they don’t leave her sight…

She’s stable this time I swear-

White Lily rushes to your side immediately, she didn’t wish to see you upset and will ask for this cookie to please leave you be. You hadn’t done anything wrong in White Lily’s eyes and nothing will change her mind as she takes your side and will fend off this harasser with all she had! She might even raise her voice at this cookie if that was what it took, she might even get a little forceful if the cookie showed no signs of leaving you alone. Do not fret anymore, she’ll always be there to protect you!

[lochtayboatsong]

Some thoughts on The Mummy (1999)

Taking a break from reading every single Rick/Evie fic (and also a goodly number of the Ardeth/Rick/Evie fics) on Ao3 to jot down some musings, in no particular order.

- I subscribe to @tinydooms ‘s chronology of events, in which the battle at Hamunaptra between Rick’s FFL regiment and the Tuaregs takes place in 1919 and the main action of the first film takes place in 1922. This jives much better with what we know/can infer about Rick and Jonathan’s backgrounds, as well as the fact that Rick and Evie have an 8-year-old son in 1933.

- Like many other Millennials, this film was my bisexual awakening; although I was not able to articulate that fact until many years later. I have not yet been able to articulate WHY, though. There’s the obvious fact that 99% of the cast is too beautiful for words, but it goes deeper than that. Watch this space for more musings on that subject.

- Rick and Evie sparked my undying love for the Battle Couple trope. They fit that trope in a more conventional way in The Mummy Returns, but it’s there in The Mummy as well: Evie pulling Rick out of the way on the boat so his head doesn’t get blown off; Rick keeping Imhotep busy so Evie has time to find the incantation in the Book of Amun-Ra that will kill him for good; Evie subtly communicating to Rick that “there are other places to dig” during the stand-off with the Americans; Rick softly and carefully tending to Evie after the skirmish with the Medjai, etc.

- Rick and Evie also both fit and subvert the “she’s the brains, he’s the brawn” trope. Of the two of them, Rick is clearly the muscle. He’s six-foot-two, built like a brick shithouse, clearly knows a lot about guns (not only how to use them but how to care for them too - see the scene on the boat where he’s cleaning and loading his guns while talking to Evie) and is a skilled brawler. But he is NOT unintelligent. He speaks French, and I would bet money that he speaks Arabic as well. He knows how to navigate through the desert and is able to get them to Hamunaptra from memory alone. And of all the white characters, he has the most intelligent things to say about the Medjai. Similarly, Evie is the one with the book smarts. She’s a trained librarian, can read and translate Ancient Egyptian on the fly, and is almost never out of ideas about what to do next in any given situation. But she is NOT just a nerdy damsel in distress. She’s able to defend herself from the Medjai on the boat and the possessed citizens of Cairo with what is available to her (a lit candle, a poke in the eye). And she’s able to learn gunfighting and hand-to-hand combat from Rick in the years between The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, and is quite competent at both by the events of TMR.

- Speaking of competent, BOY do these movies scratch the itch that is my competency kink.

- I think the entire Mummy fandom agrees that Jonathan is a PTSD-riddled WWI vet. It accounts for him being so skittish and highly-strung, while also being an excellent shot with a rifle (as well as a pistol, so long as he has a bottle of 12-year-old Scotch in the other hand). Someone in That One Tumblr Thread also pointed out that he clearly has training as a boxer: whenever A Situation arises and he doesn’t have a gun handy, his fists go up instead.

- Ardeth BAE. My favorite scene of his is the one early in TMR when he shows up at Rick and Evie’s house when Lock-Nah and his gang are there to cause trouble, and all the cultists IMMEDIATELY tense up and draw their swords as soon as he walks into the room.

- Much has been said about the mix of genres in these movies, but I recently saw a YouTube video that articulates why it all works: the first third of the movie is a historical epic/adventure film, the middle third is a horror film, and the final third is an action film.

[marsneptunes]

Me, as a millennial kid/teenager:

“Look at all these dark-haired, with swords or guns, leather clothes women! They are my favorite characters from my favorite movies”

Thirty two old ass me, in the future:

“Oh sweet, you don’t have idea”

[marzipanandminutiae]

just Millennial Teen Taking Fashion Cues From YA Urban Fantasy things, because "early 00s teen nostalgia" videos only make me nostalgic for the things my mother made me wear to school events

glitter eyeliner. bonus points if it's not black

henna tattoos

Renaissance Faire bodices with jeans

brightly-colored handkerchief skirts with combat boots

hair dyed a shade that's natural, but clearly not YOUR natural color

Celtic motif jewelry

ear cuffs

jewelry shaped like daggers or swords

Amy Brown art t-shirts. did anyone in those books actually wear Amy Brown shirts? shut up; there's a dragon on it

striped knee-high or thigh-high socks. we might have actually gotten this from the Amy Brown art, in hindsight

cold-shoulder tops, especially with long hair worn down and loosely curled

belly dance skirts, the kind with double slits, over bike shorts

bonus points if you wear the above WITH combat boots

ANYTHING with a hood. if you had a long coat with a hood, you were automatically the coolest kid in your friend group

[peach-top]

❝𝙑𝙄𝙎𝙄𝙊𝙉❞

➤ ACT O. | CHAPTER II.

➤ DARK CACAO KINGDOM.

❝??? years ago❞

"Damnit..." a young raven-haired male with white streak cursed under his breath as he grasped on bloody wounds while hiding behind a tree. He winced when he heard growling coming closer. "What is that creature? Why is it roaming around my kingdom...?"

The shadowy beast roams around the forest aimlessly with a soft growl. It had been weeks since the beast attacked the kingdom. Dark Cacao couldn't sit around and let it continue going around the kingdom, so he set off to fight the beast himself even if he was told not to.

"If I could sneak attack it, it'll go away...?" Dark Cacao thought to himself before peeking from behind the tree to see the shadow beast's back facing him. "It's time..."

The raven haired male silently stood up while the beast was distracted. He then grabbed his sword, took a deep breath, then finally charged at the beast, grabbing its attention. The shadow beast let out a loud horrifying shriek the moment Dark Cacao took a leap and stabbed his sword into its back where an eye is located. The beast roared in pain, trying to shake the male off aggressively.

"I will not let you attack our kingdom!" Dark Cacao roared, raising his sword up before stabbing it back into the eye. The shadow beast growled and grabbed Cacao with its hand then tossed him on the ground. The male grunt in pain as the beast glares at him. He was waiting for it to attack, but instead it ran away in pain, leaving an exhausted warrior with a piece of its red string made of blood.

"...Hah...hah...Did I... win...?" Dark Cacao breathed, trying to catch his breath while clenching on his wound. "...The beast...Will it come back...?"

The moment Cacao becomes too exhausted, he collapses, causing everything around him to fade to black.

❝i will come back...one day...❞

The present Dark Cacao jolted up after hearing a distorted voice. He swiftly looks around to find himself in his room. The red string made out of blood was still hanging in a frame on his wall.

"Ugh...That nightmare again..." Dark Cacao grumbled, rubbing his temper. "However,...will it come back...?"

"Your excellence." A dark brown-haired male with white highlights entered the ruler's room, "There has been an attack outside of the Milk Village..."

"...Those beasts again..." Dark Cacao groaned.

"I wasn't expecting it to be so cold...Did I pick the wrong direction...?" [Y] asked as he looked around through the snow.

❝flashback❞

"Please be careful while exploring. It can be dangerous if you're not careful." millennial tree told the [h] haired male as he offered him a handmade bag made out of leaf. "Remember to record your journey. I would love to find out what you encountered during your adventure."

"I will." [y] nodded.

archer handed the male a map that he found outside of the forest, "Here's the map of Earthbread. Be careful and remember to stay cautious."

"Thank you..."

❝end❞

The [h] haired male checked the map, "Ah...so, it's Dark Cacao Kingdom...Interesting."

[Y] looked around the snowy area, then somehow landed on the snow lion attacking a woman, who's protecting a child. The snow lion was about to swing its sharp crawls at the woman. In a flash, [Y] stood in front of the woman.

"Ah- Watch out!" The person screamed out, getting her bow and arrow ready, but she stopped. "Ah?"

"Easy there, big guy." [Y] said while stroking the snow lion fur. The snow lion purred at the touch. "You're a good boy, are you?"

The snow lion purred, nuzzles himself against the male. The former guardian gently patted the lion. The snow lion was having his best moments with the traveler until he noticed the woman with the bow and arrow and growled at her, causing her to flinch.

"Ah?" [Y] hummed, turned to the woman, then turned back to the snow lion, "It's ok...She's harmless, don't worry."

With [Y]'s gentle voice, the snow lion calmed down. The woman was shocked that he managed to calm down the beast. She asked, "You, who are you?"

"[Y], a former guardian of the forest. I'm on an important journey to find myself." [Y] introduced himself before asking the woman, "And you are?"

"The King's rumble servant and first watcher, Caramel Arrow, at your service!" Caramel Arrow introduced herself. "I know you're not from here, but you saved us! Thank you!"

"You're amazing, mister! You calm down the beast!" The young child, Cream Caramel Milk bounced while swinging their little arms. [Y] kneel down at the child's level, "I have seen a snow lion in a book, they're only attacking people for self-defense. Just a warm touch and it will calm down."

"Ah..." Cream Caramel awed. "I want to try!"

The former guardian watched as the child rushed over and reached their hand out for the snow lion, but the lion flinched. [Y] gently stroked the lion, "He won't hurt you. He wants to be your friend."

The wanderer then gently grabbed the child's wrist and placed them on the head of the lion. The child gulped nervously before gasping when the snow lion leaned in their touch.

"Ah! I did it!" Cream Caramel chuckled.

"Congratulations. You got yourself a new friend." [Y] smiled softly.

"Mr. Snowball!" Cream Caramel beamed before embracing the snow lion with admiration. The snow lion purred. [Y] chuckled, "He likes it."

"We're gonna be friends!" Cream Caramel told Snowball. Snowball roared happily.

"A-amazing." Caramel Arrow gasped softly. "This guy. Can he really be the Tamer of All Beasts?"

"Back in the forest, I know a lot of animal friends and understand their language. I can teach you some animal language as well." [Y] told the child. Cream Caramel Milk nodded with excitement, "I always wanted to communicate with animals!"

"Former Guardian [Y] from afar, if you can tame animals, then perhaps you could help tame those beasts from trying to cause trouble in the Milk Village?" Caramel Arrow requested.

[Y] accepted, "...Of course, I wouldn't want humans nor beasts to cause any harm to each other if they could be equal."

"Thank you so much." Caramel Arrow smiled.

Caramel Arrow and Cream Caramel lead (Y) to the Milk Village to talk about the beasts that have been attacking the village which the elder milk villager agrees to let the former guardian do what he could to tame the beasts wandering around the village, attacking the village.

To the village's surprise, [Y] managed to tame the beasts and help other villagers to learn how to tame the beasts themselves. It's a miracle. Humans and animals are equal, right?

"You are the Lord of All Beasts! We must thank you for reaching us!" The elder villager smiled.

"It's an honor to help the people and animals in need. We are all equal and we should be treated as equals." [Y] stated, causing Caramel Arrow to smile.

"Caramel Arrow! There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere! The Snow Licorice Dragon has returned!" The second watcher alerted.

"I see! We should head for the kingdom right away!" Caramel Arrow exclaimed. Before she could leave, [Y] grabbed her by the arm, "I'm coming with you."

"Ah? A-are you sure? It could be dangerous." Caramel Arrow said with concern in her voice.

"I have never tamed a dragon, but I can handle this one." [Y] told the woman. Caramel Arrow was going to hesitate, but she trusted the male's words, "...Alright. Let's get moving!"

At the Dark Cacao Kingdom, armies were aiming arrows at the dragon, which is flying in the air. The Snow Licorice Dragon spat out purple flame at the attackers, but luckily, they dodged it. Some of them.

"Fire the cannons!" The ruler, Dark Cacao commanded. "Don't stop until the beast has finally fallen!"

"Yes, your majesty!" The commander nodded while getting the cannon ready.

"Your majesty!" Caramel Arrow called.

"Caramel Arrow! There you are!" Dark Cacao exclaimed before noticing the [h] haired male and asking, "Who's this man?"

"My name is not important right now. But what is important is the dragon." [Y] said calmly while looking up at the dragon. "You're not gonna take it down with violence."

"What on earthbread are you saying? They're attacking my kingdom, and we must stop it before they cause more damage and loss to this kingdom!" Dark Cacao argued.

"I get it, but there's something wrong with the dragon, something is causing her to attack the kingdom." [Y] countered.

"Her?" The ruler and watcher asked the traveler in question.

"She's crying in pain and she's crying for help for someone to remove the poison from her body. Something must have poisoned her body." The former guardian explained, pressing his hand against his chest with a determined look on his face, "I know how to remove the poison off the dragon since I have healing magic."

"Please call off your men. With me around, I will be able to communicate with her and remove the poison." [Y] told the ruler. Dark Cacao narrowed his eyes on the male. Should he trust an outsider?

Caramel Arrow stepped up, "Your majesty. He tamed every beast around the kingdom."

"As the former guardian of the forest, he'll be able to communicate with the dragon and maybe the madness will finally be over." The first watcher convinced the king.

Dark Cacao took his moment to stare at Caramel Arrow, then at the former guardian before letting out a frustrated sigh, "Fine. I'll give him one chance. If he fails to communicate with that dragon, then we must continue with violence."

With the ruler's agreeing to the plan, [Y] stood outside of the kingdom. Everyone in the castle, including Affogato, who's watching from afar from the other, watched from behind the wall as the male caught the dragon's attention. The Snow Licorice Dragon flew over to the male, then landed in front of him, glaring at the former guardian.

"It's ok. I know you're in pain and you're crying for help. So, I'm here to help you." The former guardian said gently as he slowly walked over to the dragon. "Someone must have poisoned you while you were asleep. Don't worry, I know how to purity you. I learned this from a certain person who taught me so much about magic."

The Snow Licorice Dragon softens her glare, gently showing off her back where there's poison flowing on her body. [Y] nod and place his hands over the poison. The light shone in his hands, then inside the dragon, catching Dark Cacao by surprise as he watched the poison begin to move from the dragon's body and into [Y]'s veins.

"Is he...taking the poison out of the dragon and moving it into his body?" Dark Cacao thought with shock.

"There." [Y] said with a small soft smile, that no one could see. The Snow Licorice Dragon stood up on her feet, sending the male a nod of approval before flying away from the kingdom. [Y] watched as the dragon flew away before hissing in pain, but quickly hid it.

"You're at peace now. Violence is never the right choice. If only you make the right choice, then you'll be able to understand how others really felt." [Y] said before turning to face the people in the kingdom. "Everyone's feelings are important, and you cannot decline their help in need. Like I said before, we people and beasts are all equal."

In everyone's vision, [Y] looks like a rather godly and cool figure to everyone. His cool tone, long/short/medium hair, beautiful [h] eye, and the beautiful voice of reason, nearly blasted everyone away.

"Ah...He's so...beautiful..." Affogato flushed as his snake pupils turned into a heart. "My heart..."

"..." Dark Cacao watched in silence as the former guardian returned to the castle. Though, his eyes landed on the poison in the male's arm. Once [Y] reached the open gate, the watchers surrounded the traveler and bombarded him with questions and praises.

"How were you able to understand the dragon?"

"Are you the Lord of All Beasts?"

"What is this technique you used?"

"What's your secret?!"

Dark Cacao stepped up, "Enough...Give him some room."

The watchers step away from [Y], allowing Dark Cacao to walk up to him. Dark Cacao stopped in front of the male and held his hand out. "I would like to thank you for protecting our kingdom and keeping us at peace. You really surprised me with your communication skill with that dragon. I welcome you to my kingdom, wanderer."

"..." The former guardian stared at the ruler's hand for a moment before shaking it. "You're welcome. I'm just doing what I can to bring peace."

"Please come inside from the cold. You're wearing light clothing." The ruler pointed out. He then pointed to the purple veins that are visible in [Y]'s arms, "...Are you not affected by that poison...? Are you alright?"

"They're nothing..." [Y] mumbled weakly, trying to hide the poison, but unfortunately collapsed on the ground.

"Wanderer?!"

➤ chapter i.

➤ chapter iii.

[lil-gingerbread-queen]

My Robin’s designs: n°5 - Damian Wayne

My goal in this series is to make each Robin a design that fit their personality and Batman’s story. For Damian, we need a suit for a baby bat and assassin.

I think you can all realize that this is very close to his canon Robin's design (the one before they let a sad beige mom drops him in a Millennial Grey paint pot. You cannot simply slap a R on your chest and call that Robin, where are the colors? Wtf does Red Robin is more Robin than Robin???) Well, I love this design, it makes sense for Damian, and it's the design that inspired this series.

Damian was raised for a majority of his life by the Al Ghul, where he was taught to be pride of his origins and how "special" he was, as the son of both Talia Al Ghul and Batman. He thinks of himself as the heir of those two legacies. And so, his suit is both inspired by the League and Batman. The cape has the same cut as Batman's cape, and his forearms' guards get the small blades his father has. The cut of his top is inspired by his mother's family side's culture. And he gets a sword (here, a katana, but he has many different swords)

I don't know where I first saw the Robin's skull to hold the cape (it's the case in Boy Wonder), but I love it. It's goth, Bruce probably loves it (the man has a batcave in the catacombs in Europe). It emphasizes the connection to death Damian has, because of the League of Assassin and the Lazarus Pit. The hood connects him both to Batman and the League, as the goal is to hide in the dark, like the bats and assassins. All the yellow accents are like gold accents, and this boy is from royalty from both sides.

Check the others: Dick - Jason - Tim - Steph - Duke

[apeekintothepantry]

Happy Pokémon Day! February 27th is the anniversary of the first two Pokémon games’ release in Japan, and it’s a minor holiday in my house, as a fun excuse to make Pokémon inspired food, watch some Pokémon shows or movies (we’re going to watch Netflix’s new Pokémon Concierge this year!), and get excited about upcoming games and releases. This year, we’re making a Pokémon Sword and Shield inspired burger-steak curry and I’m making a dessert from the Pokémon Cookbook by Victoria Rosenthal. It’s one of my favorite fandom cookbooks – all the recipes are vegetarian or vegan, to get around the awkward question of where does the meat in the Pokémon universe come from?

But that’s not all we’re making! Ever since Nicki and Isabel were released, I’ve been dying to do a post about them and Pokémon’s infamous “Jelly Filled Doughnuts”, better – and more accurately! – known as onigiri.

Pokémon was released in the United States in 1998 via two Gameboy games: Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue. The games quickly caught on to be one of the biggest pop culture phenomenon of the late 90’s and early 00’s, and as a kid at the heart of this explosion, I can’t overstate how much of a big deal it was. One of the great things about Pokémon – and probably why it has such lasting, widespread appeal – is that there are so many ways to interact with the franchise, and the marketing doesn’t skew hugely towards one gender or the other. Cool, tough Pokémon like Charizard got pretty similar billing to cute, pink Pokémon like Jigglypuff, and there were so many options for potential favorites that it was easy for any kid to find some creature to attach themselves to.

One of my petty complaints with Nicki and Isabel’s collection and books is the almost complete lack of mention of Pokémon and other anime that was really popular among kids in 1999. I know AG probably didn’t want to shell out for licensing deals with Nintendo or The Pokémon Company, but their stories just don’t feel accurate without discussing their prized binder of Pokémon cards or begging their parents to take them to see the Pokémon movie in theaters. Maybe the authors were just a little too old to get caught up in Pokémania?

I’ve also always thought its close overlap with the Beanie Babies crazy helped get millennial children like me very into the “gotta catch ‘em all” aspect of the franchise. Is this why I’m such a crazy toy collector as an adult? Who knows.

The Pokémon anime was one of the main ways kids like me got hooked on the franchise, because not everyone was allowed to have a Gameboy of their own (me), and not everyone liked video games, but even if you didn’t like video games, the cartoon might appeal to you. Although it was far from the first Japanese cartoon to air on US television, Pokémon was one of if not the first truly mainstream favorites of the 1990’s. 4Kids, the company in charge of dubbing the show into English, decided that American kids wouldn’t understand or be open to certain aspects of the show that reflected its Japanese roots, and so made a lot of strange choices in rewriting the script. One of the most notorious was deciding Brock’s rice balls were actually jelly filled doughnuts:

Onigiri – also known as omusubi or nigirimeshi – are balls of rice with a variety of fillings inside. They’re often compared to sandwiches, as an easy, quick, cheap meal or snack that combines carbs and other ingredients. While the concept of taking a rice ball and stuffing it full of other tasty treats goes way back to ancient Japan, the triangle shape became popular in the 1980’s thanks to a new machine that automated the filling process. Further developments over the last 40 years have created unique ways to prepackage onigiri without making the nori wrapping sticky. The ones we made were an attempt at recreating the “Hawaiian” (spam and pineapple) rice balls from our favorite food hall back in DC. One of my favorite pandemic indulgences was getting take out from the food hall, which often included a sampler of some of my favorite onigiri, and I haven’t been able to find anything close to similar where we are now. One of the many reasons I’m excited to move!

Even as a kid, I wasn’t convinced the food in the anime was fried dough with fruit jelly inside, because they sure look like rice. I also think 4Kids didn’t anticipate that Pokémon’s widespread popularity would inspire many of its fans – including me – to become absolutely obsessed with Japanese food and culture. I would’ve been more excited if they’d just been straight with me and shown more Japanese food on the show, and then probably begged my parents to make it or take me to a restaurant that made it. While I can’t confidently cite numbers of how many other people were first exposed to Japanese culture and food through Pokémon and franchises like it, I do think it’s a bit of a missed opportunity to highlight how things like this exposed kids like Nicki and Isabel to parts of a culture outside their own!

[tociminna]

Introduction & Masterlist

Hello! I'm tociminna.

I am an agèd Millennial, just joined Tumblr in August '24 and frankly still have very little idea how it works. I'm trying 👵

I am here because of my terminal Gale Dekarios brain rot, though I also enjoy, in no particular order:

Cats

Physics

Reading (sci-fi preferred but I'll read the back of a shampoo bottle if that's all there is)

Stupid math puns

Plants

Electronic & metal music

aaand... Writing!

I never wrote anything in my life besides my dissertation before July '24 but it's taken over 😅

BG3 fic list:

Right now it's all sorted into a series, and all these fics focus on a Gale/femTav pairing with my tiefling swords bard Tav, Niamh:

The Warp and the Weft

Individually:

The Loom of Fate - [longfic, WIP] a bit of a fix-it fic following the events of the game, but with some departures to introduce a few new OCs and expand a bit on Forgotten Realms lore. Slowburn romance, friends to lovers, eventual smut.

Lesson - [5k words, T] An expansion of the Weave scene, with some insight into bardic magic and some extra angst.

Strands - [2k words, T] A short piece of tooth-rotting fluff explaining the origins of the Wizardly Updo (aka the beloved manbun).

New - [3k words, E] A fluffy, smutty First Time fic.

Awake - [3k words, E] Another fluff/smut bit, directly following the events of New. Probably should have been a second chapter but I am still figuring this stuff out!

Unburden - [9k words, E] Two chapters of character work bookend a central chapter of smut. Some soft dom, service top Gale.

Pent - [3k words, E] Unabashed smut. Gale thinks, and wanks, and thinks some more.

Thanks for stopping by! I am always interested in hearing what you think of the work!