#mythological is the proper word isn't it

[dormiloncito]

there's a fandom for king arthur and all that????

[quirkwizard]

The Villains Aren't Alright

Recently, I got an ask talking about certain misconceptions that people have about the series. As I was thinking about it, I was starting to realize that a lot of what I was listing off talked about the villains. Specifically, how many people say they are in the right. Obviously, this isn't about characters like Muscular, Overhaul, or All For One. They are meant to be more overtly villainous. I'm talking more about the more "Societal Rebels" of the manga. Characters like Stain, the MLA, and especially the League of Villains.

The MLA wants the freedom to use Quirks. That the usage of a Quirk is a basic human right. It's a nice sentiment on paper and gets close to the right idea. That people need to be more active and try and help in ways they can't. The issue comes in how far they want to go. They want unrestricted usage of all Quirks. As if that wouldn't result in everything collapsing within seconds. You need those restrictions to keep any kind of normal and societal cohesion. Even if it's just fighting villains, using your Quirks without any proper training is dangerous and stupid. You need people like the heroes, those who are trained to actually use their powers and handle villains to help out. Not only that, but it's an ideology that is breeding ground for more dangerous ideas. Stuff like Geten's ideas of people with strong Quirks standing at the top or Re-Destro's ideas about how your Quirk determines who you are as a person. That's the kind of thing you get when you define everything by Quirks.

Stain is another example. Again, you can understand where he's coming from. That some people shouldn't be pro-heroes and that the system is corrupt. This is still a flawed mindset, though. And it's not just because he's killing and mutilating people to do it. It's the Stain's ideology is so dogmatic to the point only two people can be heroes. Not only is that woefully impractical, but it ignores so much of the nuance of people. Like how people need money to support and incentivize people to be heroes. That doing that hero work still helps people regardless of the motivation. It ignores good and talented heroes, such as the original Ingeiunm being one of the nicest and most competent heroes we've seen, or people's ability to change, like how Mount Lady grew out of her shallow mindset into a proper hero. So I don't think the story says Stain is right in what he does. If anything, it's meant to show the darker aspects of All Might's mythologizing. To set such impossible standards that no one could meet them.

Then there are the League of Villains. Look, these villains have suffered, and they have a right to be upset. There's no denying that. But that doesn't necessarily make them right. It's not just about action, of which there are plenty you could point to that cements them as villains, but motivation. Let's start with some of the easy ones. Namely, Mr. Compress, Twice, and Spinner. Mr. Compress says he wants to fight against the corrupt system like his ancestor, but neither his actions nor his words reflect that. His joining the league seems more of an excuse to show off his skill and power. Twice is only motivated to help the League out of a sense of acceptance, but that's it. It's hard to say he's motivated by any kind lofty goal as much as he is a guy who is in a constant state of being screwed over or taken advantage of by everyone. Spinner wants to follow Stain's ideology, but that falls to the side in favor of following Tomura. Even in the face of something like the mutant crisis, he couldn't care less about any of it. He's less a rebel and more radicalized bandwagoner who lost sight of what he was fighting for.

The real big ones that people talk about are Tomura, Toga, and Dabi. Tomura wants to dismantle the society that neglected him, but his core motivation and goal is to just destroy everything. He hates everything, ergo, he is going to destroy it. There is no other goal or plan than that. Toga wants to be able to be herself, but that involves killing and drinking whomever she wishes. She could not care less about the people she hurts as long as she gets her fix. Dabi wants to expose Endeavor because of the neglect he endured, but only wants to do it to make Enji suffer. He's not looking for any real justice and will hurt anyone to get his satisfaction, including people who were just as many victims as him, like Shoto. The point I'm trying to make is that the villains aren't rebels trying to fight against an unjust world. The most you can say about the League is that they're lashing out at whatever hurts them and will not stop until they get some satisfaction. They are right in the sense society has an issue, but that doesn't make them justified because what they do doesn't solve anything.

Because at the end of the day, what is there to be gained from hurting these random people? Nothing. It doesn't help anything, not even the League itself, at least with how the League is doing it. Tearing everything down helped in the long run, but that was never the goal. Which I feel like is a bit of a trend with the villains: people who have understandable ideas, but their extremism and warped perspective of it ends up not doing more harm. What I'm saying is that it's important to separate the motivation from the action. While the villains can and should be understood and empathized with, their actions still cement them as in the wrong. It was tragic what happened to them, it shouldn't happen again, and society should change to help people like them before things go wrong. But that responsibility lies with the heroes, who need to reach out and try to change things, and that doesn't make the villains right or justify their actions. Because that isn't what the villains are after. They are people out here for their own goals and motivations. Understandable yet destructive goals that do not improve anything. That's what makes them villains.

[blackcestfest]

Blackcest Fest Masterlist 

Categories: Femslash, Het, Sirius/Regulus, Sirius/Regulus/Other, Other Slash

Femslash: 

Eyes On The Bride by LesbianKJ Ships: Druella Rosier Black/Walburga Black, Druella Rosier Black/Minerva McGonagall Rating: Explicit Wordcount: 2,456

It's Druella Rosier and Cygnus Black's wedding, and Druella isn't acting like the proper bride.

Sweet Possession by sky_watcher_rose Ship: Walburga Black/Bellatrix Black Lestrange  Rating: E  Word count: 4624

Bellatrix has always worshipped the ground her aunt walks on - and so perhaps, Walburga thinks, this was inevitable. Bellatrix was always going to ask, and she was always going to say yes.

Bellatrix Black: An Elegy by @thistlecatfics Ships: Andromeda/Bellatrix, Bellatrix/Cygnus, Bellatrix/Rita Skeeter Rating: E  Wordcount: 5,328 Warnings: Non-con, underage

“Bellatrix Black Lestrange was survived by her husband, sister, nephew, and me, whatever I could be considered, if I could even be considered someone who survived her.”

Het: 

they wed by sanguis_in_excelsis @sanguisinexelsis Ship: Sirius Black/Bellatrix Black  Rating: G  Word count: 6446

and it goes better than expected  Sirius and Bellatrix, and their starry mythology

Vérité by MymbleHowl @st-clements-steps Ships: Sirius Black/Bellatrix Black Lestrange/Barty Crouch Jr. Rating: E  Wordcount: 2957

“By Salazar.” Surely she uses magic somehow to make her sigh resound through all their cells, “let me know when you meet a boy who doesn’t like it hard and fast, Bartemius." To Sirius she says, "darling, be a good boy for me and tell me what you’re doing?” Her voice sings across their dank surroundings. “Sometimes, babydoll, you have to let them take the lead.”

Daddy's Girl by @miss-grimwood Ship: Bellatrix/Cygnus  Rating: M  Word count: 1550  Warnings: underage, rape/non-con

Cygnus prepared Bellatrix to be a good wife to her future husband.

blue light of the flame by @sanguisinexelsis Ships: Sirius Black/Andromeda Black Tonks, Past Sirius/Bellatrix, Past Andromeda/Alphard   Rating: G Word count: 1,748

Andromeda goes to visit Sirius in Number Twelve the week before he dies. They say goodbye.

Her Good Boy by RottenPleasures @caitiewantstobeavadakedavrad Ship: Druella Rosier Black/Sirius Black  Rating: E  Wordcount: 1,273  Warnings: Underage

Walburga has always claimed that Sirius doesn’t know how to behave. Druella thinks that couldn’t be father from the truth.

Short Distance Between Love and Insanity by piximera @piximera-art Ship: Sirius/Bellatrix  Rating: E  Wordcount: 1,829

Bellatrix HATES Sirius, so why do they end up in bed together at every family ball?

M-A-M-A B-O-Y, Mama’s boy, Mama’s boy by Sagiko_AKA_RegulusBlackKinnieBITFW Ships: Walburga Black/Regulus Black, Past Walburga Black/Alphard Black  Rating: Explicit  Wordcount: 2101

Who says romance has to be dead just because her incesty brother died? Her son can always take his place.

Sirius/Regulus: 

Happiness by TheFaeSys @thesun-themoon-andtheirstars Ship: Regulus Black/Sirius Black  Rating: T  Wordcount: 1184  Warnings: Mention of past abuse

After spending the first few weeks of the summer at the Potter's Sirius starts getting letters, a lot of letters. They don't stop and when Bellatrix shows up and drags him away to see his brother, Sirius relents, vowing to bring him back to the Potter's.

(ART) That Time My Brother Kissed Me and Not His Boyfriend by @acydpop Ship: Regulus Black/Sirius Black  Rating: G 

Sirius didn't know that polyjuicing into one of his mates would lead to a surprise he never saw coming.

Kisses Are For Lovers by DeathBecomesJade @sniperjade Ship: Regulus Black/Sirius Black  Rating: E  Wordcount: 13,447  Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Attempted Suicide

Regulus has always loved Sirius but for as long as he can remember Sirius has always pushed him away. He lost track of him after Hogwarts but now that he is free from his mother's influence and has found Sirius again, he will never let him go.

A Candle in the Dark by @ticigi Ship: Regulus Black/Sirius Black  Rating: E  Wordcount: 6,674  Warnings: Underage, Referenced non-con

"Hey, Reggie? Want to see the stars with me, just like old times?”

Now That We Don't Talk by @melissamwrites Ship: Sirius/Regulus  Rating: E  Word count: 18,943  Warnings: Past Child Abuse, underage (17 year old)

Sirius and Regulus have been estranged since Sirius ran away at the age of 16 with his best friend from boarding school, James Potter. But they have recently moved to London (the Potters are insistent that they try and work for a living). James is trying to get into a new relationship, but Sirius feels lonely and tries to reach out to some old friends.

Take My Body by acari @ghaniblue Ship: Regulus/Sirius  Rating: E Wordcount: 3140  Warnings: Underage

The last person Sirius expected to find on his front step was his estranged little brother begging Sirius to fuck him.

Winner Takes All by @the-invisibility-bloke Ship: Sirius/Regulus  Rating: E  Wordcount: 8,893  Warnings: Underage

"You call that a kiss?" It’s all fun and games until it’s fun and games and groping.

The Ties That Bind Me (To Horoscopes and Fate) by @tenrousei-kuroi Ship: Sirius/Regulus  Rating: E  Wordcount: 6,007  Warnings: rape/non-con, moderate violence, underage, physical abuse

"Sirius could hear Orion in Regulus's room in the middle of the night when they were supposed to be sleeping. One of those nights he decides to sneak into his brother's room after their father leaves, just to check on him, but what he sees makes it impossible not to take advantage of the situation."

Lessons by dalula Ship: Regulus Black/Sirius Black  Rating: Explicit  Wordcount: 2026  Warnings: Underage

Before starting Hogwarts, the Black siblings are extremely sheltered. When Sirius comes back after his first term, he can't wait to show Regulus that he can use what's between his legs to make himself feel better.

Sirius/Regulus/Other: 

Love in Different Shapes by Shadowmun @mundrakan Ship: Sirius/Regulus + Severus  Rating: E  Wordcount: 2742  Warnings: Rape/non-con, underage

Father asked Regulus to dose Sirius with a potion, so he would find an "illegible partner" and return to the family to do his duty of marrying and producing beautiful little pure-blood children. Too late Regulus finds out: Father didn't read the fine print.

Naughty, Knotty, Naughty by BrokenBoughs Ships: Regulus/Sirius, Regulus/Sirius/Harry  Rating: E  Wordcount: 1k 

Regulus tells Harry a bit of Black history.

With Seed As Strong As Blood by @greenmegsnoham Ships: Orion Black/Regulus Black, Regulus Black/Sirius Black, Orion Black/Regulus Black/Sirius Black  Rating: E Warnings: Underage, Rape/Non-con  Wordcount: 2,200

"You want him," Orion states unquestioningly, his fingers trailing along Regulus' side to the dip of his waist and those widening hips... "Do your duty," Orion commands Sirius, "and you shall have your fill of our sweet Omega."

Take me with you (find a way) by cassetteinability @onehundredflamingos Ship: Regulus/Sirius/Narcissa  Rating: E  Wordcount: 10,352

When Walburga sets up a wedding between Regulus and Narcissa, Sirius vows to do whatever it takes to get back to his brother.

James Knows by @goldenbi Ships: Regulus Black/Sirius Black/James Potter  Rating: E  Wordcount: 5,030  Warnings: Underage Sex

James knew his best friend. He knew his best friend more than anyone else could know another person. From the first moment they met they were in sync in almost every way. Nearly every sentence that included James also included Sirius. Sirius’s wand felt just as natural in his hand as James’s own. They were closer than any two people could be. It was as if their very souls were made of the same bright light. So why didn’t Sirius admit that he was fucking his own brother?

Other Slash:

finders keepers by dalula Ship: Draco Malfoy/Sirius Black  Rating: E  Wordcount: 1269  Warnings: Underage, Animagus Bestiality

Draco finds Padfoot on the grounds at Hogwarts and smuggles him into his dorm. He's always wanted a dog.

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hi!! What resources can I use to find terminology, names, and words and such? "Synonyms" don't always cut it. Im writing a fantasy that focuses on not just dragons, but also kelpies and maybe more creatures. But when I refer to them, I don't want to write "The dragons and kelpies" each time. I'd like a term other than "the creatures" when I'm referring to both species. If it were just about dragons, then characters would easily refer to them as "the dragons", but theres so much more...

Collective Term for Creatures, Researching Terminology

It sounds like you're looking for a collective term for a variety of mythical creatures, and unfortunately, outside of creatures and maybe beasts, there really isn't one.

Now, if you needed the proper collective term for a group of the same creature, such as a group of dragons, you could simply Google, "what is a group of dragons" called, and you would find that there are a variety of terms, but a common one is "a flight of dragons."

When you feel that you're overusing collective terms like "the dragons and kelpies" or "the creatures," it's more than likely a writing issue. In other words, if you take the time to revise and reword, you can find ways to eliminate some of these references.

Another option would be to create a collective term that is relevant and unique to your story, such as "the cursed ones" or "the ancient ones" and alternate between that term, creatures, beasts, and "dragons and kelpies," reserving the latter for when you need to be specific.

As far as resources for finding terminology, you can find tons and tons of resources about mythical creatures via a Google search. You can do a broad search--for example "dragons"--or you can do a more specific search, such as "different types of dragons." The important thing to bear in mind is that since mythical creatures aren't real, the results you get will be split between mythological/folk references, common genre tropes, and functions of specific canon. Ultimately, you want to be cautious not to use something that is specific to a particular canon. For example, if you get a resource that tells you some facts about dragons in the Fourth Wing book series, you would want to avoid using those.

Happy researching!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[alatismeni-theitsa]

https://www.tumblr.com/alatismeni-theitsa/750276116941586432/httpsxcomcorenlavolpestatus17879717550276120

Hello! About this subject, I wondered if you thought that having poc representation is inherently incompatible with the desire to create fiction surrounding Greek mythology? Would it be impossible for the game Hades to includes different skin tones without being disrespectful of Greek’s culture, in your opinion? This subject if pretty though, because well, the people making the game are from an independent studio and included people of color in the game because they wanted more people to feel represented (since some of them are poc and didn’t get to have representation growing up). But if it’s wasn’t compatible with the culture and Greek mythology, then maybe the game wouldn’t have been made in the first place, or not in the same way…

I want to hear more Greek people’s opinion on the matter, if it doesn’t bother you :)

Hello, thank you for the ask! The answer might be a bit long but... you know me :p

For more explanations on proper representation check here.

I feel like the wording makes the situation look a little bit like an issue of "Greeks VS People of Color", when in reality the situation is "White American (WASP, specifically) ideals VS Everyone Else". In the West Greeks are still the "ethnics" so it would be a mistake to equate the Greek heritage with the ever-present, influential WASP culture of the US.

I mention this because it's the job your country's media to offer representation to minorities, not the job of any foreign gods and heroes. Greek culture is not The System, it doesn't represent the US culture. Ergo, to put it crudely, it's not the Greek culture's problem that the US media companies and the audience are biased against PoC.

The Greek culture and history are what they are and, truth is, non-Mediterranean looks are not frequent in ancient Greek stories and societies. The US should adapt accordingly. The US is a superpower driven by the consumerism of its residents. Find a way to center PoC that will not ignore or erase parts of other cultures.

(And find the courage to treat Greek culture as the foreign culture that it is and not Americanize it as much as possible. And cast a few Greek peeps every now and then, I promise, the universe won't collapse.)

There are plenty of other opportunities for minorities to get jobs and roles in literally any other type of media outside of the Greek-myth-related ones. The country itself should be offering the chance for minorities to see themselves in its media. The customers and the culture of this country should learn to support any type of work centered around PoC.

Foreign cultural figures are, by virtue and all purposes, representatives of that specific foreign local population and their visions. Changing foreign gods and heroes, who you already treat like props, to mend your cultural issues is disrespectful. Example: Black people are underrepresented in Greek media but a Greek film about the Chinese pantheon isn't the appropriate place for their representation. In other countries where Black/Brown/East Asian people are the norm in the media, it still isn't right to alter their local gods and heroes so they look like minorities within those countries. As the quote goes, "There is no identity that exempts you from doing harm".

Showing different peoples only through Greek mythology media can be possible if the creators account for real demographics and depictions of established gods and heroes. In a mystery book based on Greek mythology, your New Yorker group of friends/main characters can be whatever you desire. In the same context, if a deity wants to transform into a 50-year-old gay Black Mexican New Yorker for a specific reason that's also fine. But to have a whole foreign pantheon and heroes looking different "just because" (which is the Hades approach) treads into "using the figures as props" territory. Greek mythology is not - and shouldn't be - the only thing the US people are interested in.

Sorry if my tone here is angry at times but Westerners think the biggest, basic problem in Western Greek mythology-related media is "our minorities do not get represented" instead of "We (including our minorities) have been entertained and profiting from the appropriation of a foreign culture, and it's been so bad that we don't know how the actual culture looks like, and we do not even offer roles to these people on films/books/plays about their culture. In fact, we barely give them any representation". Don't get me wrong, both are problems. But in this specific situation, people are missing the forest for the tree.

It depends on what you mean by "fiction surrounding Greek mythology". I wouldn't expect any fictional work with a touch of ancient Greek culture to follow historical accuracy in all other factors. If the Greek culture is not there, it doesn't need the same gods and heroes but if it does have the Greek ones specifically, the respectful thing is to not alter their basic features and symbols. Similarly, a Nigerian school can, ofc, present an ancient Greek play regardless of the students not resembling 99.99% of the ancient and modern Greek recorded demographics. All can engage and share the inspiration, as long as they respect the tons of research about our heritage and the pains people have gone through so we can have accurate information, which matters, today.

Inspiration is fine but if your story is set in ancient Greece and the historical, real ancient Thebes has the diversity of the Seattle population that screams "barely educated American", I'm sorry. Not everything should be a copy paste of your own experiences, especially when writing about foreign cultures. There are real places out there with their own demographics and respecting that is basic human decency. Not getting in the trouble to even look how the residents (very diverse or not) and the heroes and the gods of a foreign country look when you put them on screen, that's just bad.

In the case of Hades, where diversity was born intentionally by the creators, Hermes having East Asian characteristics is the most American thing ever because he is treated as a prop without a background, not as a character or a real god. Consider the most basic question. Why does Hermes specifically, before even the Bronze Age hits, wants to present this way? Is he a Greek god who… likes how East Asian people look and decided to look like this and not like the Mediterranean locals, because he sees East Asians as a… costume? Does he always look like this? Then why does his depictions don't look like this? Does he change into an East Asian for… fun..? Does he change races every day of the week for fun? Because… race doesn't matter…? Every possible answer sounds either illogical or racist.

I understand the creators' motives were noble but intentions do not excuse everything. As a Greek, seeing my local god not looking like the hundreds of his depictions I've seen in museums and in Greek media, am I not supposed to ask why this happened in the context of Greek culture?

I gave some examples of PoC representation above but each case is different. I'd advise Greek mythology-related media creators to seek Greeks and Greek sensitivity readers. I can recommend at least one Greek sensitivity-reader and I can help a little bit myself if the questions are simple.

[i984]

A Letter to the Yearning Moon

|Pairing|: Wednesday Addams x gender neutral reader

|Warnings|: HURT HURT HURT, Stupid! Wednesday Addams, falls too late! Wednesday Addams, hates proper communication! Wednesday Addams, a rejection letter for a confession letter, this isn't even a fic, you guys will just sit there reading from first person, improper use of Greek mythology, author was sick when writing this.

|Summary|: Wednesday Addams receives a love letter.

|A/n|: I used @tundra1029 's prompt very very loosely. This goes to all of you who fell in love at the wrong time.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

An envelope.

Wednesday snatched the object from her beloved Thing.

Inside is a paper filled with letters that form words and thus string sentences together snugly beside each other. Carefully opening the folds, the ravenette's eyes trace your handwriting, your voice playing inside her mind.

My dear Selene,

Countless words have been poured on papers, yet none truly holds the power to speak my sentiments whole. Man's invention has failed me; poetry and portraits defeated by my thoughts and feelings for you. Like others before me, I'll still try to convey myself to you, and I hope by the end of this letter, we'll still be able to face each other and nod in tandem.

I loved the way you smiled. It was rare, of course, and when it finally happened, I saw before my eyes the most beautiful angel grace the earth with sweet honey and green meadows; light rain washes the world from its wrongs, and suddenly everything was so vibrant, so you.

I loved the way you laughed. It resembles the little bells adorning the bracelet I gifted you last year. In what people will deem maniacal, I find comfort and warmth, genuine glee and freedom. The things I would do to go back and listen to it again for the first time, I wouldn't regret it one bit.

I loved the way you walked. Our shoulders would brush, and my pinkie would tremble because I wanted to link it with yours. Every time, I would worry that you'll flinch and step away, or even worse; you'll tell me off, and we'll never walk together again. That never happened, and instead, I was the one who pulled away and disappeared.

I loved the way you let me into your life. To become a friend, a companion, and to let me cling to my hope of us ever becoming more. I watch you tolerate my obnoxious laughter and incessant chatter, my tasteless love poems, and the squiggly drawing of us—holding hands with our foreheads pressed together.

I loved how you hurt me gently, with no remorse or regret. When your countless 'no's proved fruitless, you just stood there and gave me less and less. I was doing the loving for the both of us, even though there wasn't an 'us' to begin with.

I loved you too much; it killed me every time I saw you, felt you, touched you, heard you, and it ruined me. The mere idea of you burns my husk with an eternal flame of suffering. Eros was laughing at me, and I hated passion and everything it stands for.

Your raven hair and pale, cold skin haunt my sleepless nights and daydreams. Your typewriter stared me down atop your desk, and I could clearly picture the image of your back and hear the clacks your fingers produced with each move.

I can see our hands accidentally touching atop that damned bookshelf every time I walk past the library. Your eyes were sunken, and your braids were messy. You looked lifeless, more than ever. And I've never hated anything more in my entire life.

It's funny—or tragic, depending on who's talking—how you, a person so impassive and emotionless, make me experience all the feelings poets and writers have sung and poured on paper. I adored love songs and loathe them now. I screamed, and I laughed, in despair and in delight.

You made me love, then hate, and I didn't understand you, me, and us.

I hated my arms that longed to hold you. I hated my fingers that wished to brush your hair loose. I hated my lips for wanting to press them onto your perfect skin. I hated my mind for yearning to understand you. I hated myself for desiring such a creature of perfection and bliss—God's gift for dirty and wretched humanity—a blade that lodges, twists, and turns the heart, and you wouldn't pull it out.

So I freed myself from your chains and whips, from the ruins and the broken pieces that were us, from the shards of glass that slit my neck and arms, and from the three words I wish to hear you repeat after.

Love was deeply tangled in hatred, and if I loved you more, I might kill you out of resentment. Instead, I killed my muse, freedom, and your half-finished portrait. And I figured that maybe that way, I could kill love, kill you.

I loved you, and in some ways, I still do. You're a great friend and a patient confidante. You're my hero and the moon I sought to glow above my bleak and numbing nights. But I've learned to love me more than you, and to love me means destroying your temple and building my own from the collapsed rock. It means painting over your mural with my favorite colors and drawing hearts on love poetries to myself.

I sprouted wings, and they blazed golden. Claiming heaven for myself, I left you down on treasured mother earth. If cruelness grew in me, I would ask you to stop feeling for me. But to fall for someone, and for you, is the greatest blessing in life, and I wish for you to experience the same.

Your words finally mirrored mine, and I pray in another life, we can love and live without fear, regret, or guilt. Until that day comes and sets us free from human prison, do settle as my fallen angel, my harbinger of death.

And maybe then, Chronos will let us meet and fall for each other together, and our story will be complete; a happy end for you and me.

I loved you, Wednesday Addams, and I am eternally grateful to have you feel the same for me now.

Sincerely,

Your foolish sun.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

A/n2: Did that make any sense? No. So I'll clear a few things out for you. This is a letter for someone who fell for you late. You fell so deep in love, it drives you mad, and you've confessed countless times to this person. Yet, the person doesn't reciprocate your feeling, and so you gave up. You moved on in life, and learnt to love yourself like you did this person. As Fate has it, this damned person falls in love with you after your feelings are gone, and this letter conveys that it's too late because you can't love them again, and you wish for them to figure out what one-sided love feels like, and what does it mean to love themselves in the end.

Tag list is in this post! Please interact with it accordingly if you wish to be added into it :)

[i-was-never-sane]

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

[TW: SH, MY FRIEND'S DRAMA]

Back again with some opinions.

I am using gender neutral pronouns because I am uncomfortable with saying their name as of now.

This is not hate at all, I'm just trying to explain my view of the situation.

Okay so like my last post, I expressed that I do not support what my friend did with an AU.

And recently, Freddie, their boyfriend, has said that they have had multiple breakdowns and has done SH a lot lately. However, I have trust issues and find it quite hard to believe because my friend has never mentioned a partner. But, I don't wanna start accusations, it's my preview.

Even though I have my suspicions, I feel sorry that they are going through such a state, and I mean this wholeheartedly. No one should feel the need to do that.

But, that does not mean I will encourage the behaviour of both anon and my friend.

The anon was very wrong in how they worded that message, as I said last time.

My friend is also wrong with how they reacted.

To the anon who sent that.

You are wrong, very very wrong with how that message was delivered.

I understand your anger, and I am also saddened. But that was not a proper approach to the situation. Due to that, see how the people are highly affected.

How the other roleplayers are having to explain and pick sides.

How majority of us are super uncomfortable, stressed and/or tired.

But still, I, personally, view you both, OP and Anon, wrong in your own ways.

To my friend who started the AU.

Again, I feel sorry to how you are dealing with this, no one should do that to themselves.

But I would politely like to say that, the AU can serve as total disrespect to male victims and to people who highly value that story.

Which can make you look and sound very insensitive about that topic.

Now back to my view.

I have read the apology post, and I am not meaning to be bossy or mean or insensitive etc.

But, I am not satisfied with the apology.

Because the 'apology' itself didn't even have the words 'sorry' or 'I am so remorseful' in the first place

I found that the AU also made me mad, seeing as male victims are being discarded.

I remember talking to my friends in real life, the shock and confusion on their faces when I told them that boys could be SA'd as well.

I know some will say; "They made a mistake! Everyone makes mistakes." "They screwed up, but every human screws up!"

I get it, people do make mistakes, but what I saw on @unhinged-waterlilly 's post was something else.

The way they reacted, it just wasn't it for me. It disturbed me too much.

ESPECIALLY THIS POST.

And to find out that someone helped them write that apology made me think; 'Why would they take someone else's responsibility?'

I'm not saying it's their fault but, think about it. Just think about it. I know a person's mindset if they were asked to do something for a friend would be; 'Oh, okay! They're my friend, what's wrong with that?'

What's wrong is, you're doing something that isn't even your responsibility.

I am an atheist, but the stories and myths in Greek Mythology mean the world to me.

So seeing that Odysseus's trauma with Circe being altered so carelessly made me disappointed.

Lilly is and will always be right. If you're gonna make a character get SA'd, fucking learn about it first.

I do not know if I can forgive and forget. But I am trying my best to understand the situation properly, but I really am drained. Just like the others.

my friend's taglist.

@zariahthewitch @thegroovydaughterofhestia @if-chaos-was-a-boy @the-gods-strange-children

@silena-daughterofaphrodite @fabulousdaughterofhecate @weakest-son-of-sun

@chaos-pers0nified @neoptolemus-achilles-son @bast-the-best26

@goddess-of-bubblegum @gaygirldoodles @luck-is-crucial @reyna4ever

@vicious-daughter-of-zeus @feral-hermes-child @unfortunate-daughter-of-hestia

@that-girl-cupid @ariathemortal @love-lightning-forethought @emdabitchass @kaiaalwayswins

@champion-of-revenge @clown-energy-skyrocketing @zoe-aura-of-d3ath @itsyourboyezra

@lunar-eklipso-r @pink-koi-lovejoy @that-daughter-of-athena @sleepy-as-a-song @smileyalater

@gellyhelio @daughter-ofthe-moontitan @the-smart-and-the-dumb-one

@trinket-snatcher @southerndaughterofeos @creature-under-ur-bed @burnt-out-bitxhes

[axl-ul]

Writeblr (Re)Introduction

Hello! After some time of being inactive, here's a small reintroduction from me:) And I also guess that this is the exact aesthetic I aimed for. Finally!

General info:

(Nick)Name: Axl-ul, but you can address me as Axl^^

Likes: Writing, reading, drawing, crochet, mythologies and folk stories, tea, doggos, cattos, battos (majority of animals that are fluffy)

Stuff I like to listen to: an ENORMOUS range that goes from og dubstep to chillstep to metal to edgy yeehaw dark country (among my fave artists are Bonobo, Nujabes, Burial, Hugo Kant, Sigmun)

Favourite movie: Noroi, The Vanished Empire

Favourite show: Mononoke (2009) it's actually an anime and yes I do consider it a show, Red Dwarf

Favourite book(s): The Witcher saga (Season of Storms was a little bit mid in comparison to the rest, still enjoyed it though), Solomon Kane, The Hobbit, Whiskey, Blood and Silver, The Warlock, Journey to the West (still reading it)

Favourite manga: anything by Junji Ito, Berserk

Favourite games: The Witcher trilogy, DreadOut, Condemned: Criminal Origin, TES V: Skyrim (also slowly getting into Oblivion), Sleeping Dogs, Darkwood, anything made by Fromsoftware (a fanboy)

Favourite genres: horror, mystery, (dark) fantasy, comedy

Favourite tropes: animal companion, found family, rivals to best friends

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Writer info:

Genres I write in: horror, mystery, dark fantasy inspired by world mythologies, dark comedy, my wips might have a touch of detective stories to them, too^^

Tropes I use(d): found family, animal companion, rivals to best friends, rivals to friends to lovers (used only once as I don't like romance that much, why it appears in my wips is a looong story), orphaned MC

POV: 3rd person, multiple POVs with main focus on 1 to 3 characters max

I tend to write in quite a flowery language and in poetic prose, but since English isn't my first language it can come across slightly awkward (TL; DR I do plenty of updates and edits to my posted stuff)

My wips are inspired and sometimes directly refer to a certain mythology, such as Slavic (this one is also most widely used as I like to read local legends of Serbia, Russia, the Czech and Slovak Republic, Ukraine, Poland and so on), Chinese, Nordic, Japanese and Indonesian. HOWEVER I love to create my own mythos and so the world is a blend of characters directly based of a mythological figure exploring environement both familiar and completely new to them. (I've always been intruiged by a question what would happen if world mythologies bumped into each other and what would be the consequences of it.)

My own mythos are pretty much eldritch-like oriented with a significant touch of folk horror. I'm not going to lie, I'm a FromSoftware fanboi, I see Bloodborn or Kuon, I'm going feral and so is my inspiration.

There are many occuring themes about substance abuse, addiction, health issues, gore, extreme violence, sexual assault/rape and other strongly 18+ stuff, so I'd appreciate if only 20+ y.o. people (or be at least 18, really) follow this account. In other words - PLENTY OF NSFW THAT'S NOT DIRECTED AND INTENDED FOR MINORS.

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WIPs

Not all from my wips have a proper introduction (a.k.a. there's no link for their Tumblr WIP intro). BUT I do plan on doing them, so expect the links to be updated. These are just quick summaries of them.

The Flight of the Western Crane - A dark retelling of Journey to the West where Sun Wukong tries to protect the young Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang while meeting a duo of a stranded Princess of the Great Tiger Kingdom and her foreign advisor Lady Wolf Witch. Their common journey starts out as an innocent one. However, it soon evolves into a dangerous chase where the Monkey King must face the worst of his opponents.

City of False Gods - Hybrid of wuxia, mystery and film noir genres set on a fabricated island near Hong Kong. The fiction evolves around the Monkey King who's, after his yet another imprisonment, woken up to a strange world of 1920s where his powers are under a radar by the local supernatural cop unit and is forced to live among the poorest while trying to solve strange happenings in the city. City of False Gods also serves as a sequel to The Flight of the Western Crane.

Empire of Dust - Historical dark fantasy with horror elements set in 330 Constantinople. The story follows two little sisters one of whom is considered neither dead nor alive. One day, Ulfrika sets out for a strange task in order to provide for her dear little sister. Her pure-hearted intention, though, may lead her down the rabbit hole which may devour her sanity.

Ratpeople - An outline idea for a standalone story involving Ulfrika and her time in the Wild West, where the soulless hybrid discovers an eerie town in the desert while chasing after a man who stole one of her horses. The story is related to weird western (mostly its horror and fantasy elements and no sci-fi stuff) and mystery genres and also mythology related things.

Boy Who Chased a Dragon - Another outline story outside the universe of The Legends of No-man's Land. The story takes place on an island of eternal summer and flower bloom, where mythical creatures live peacefully. One day, Dado* loses his pet dragon, a creature his sister gave him for his 8th birthday, in a harsh storm. Now, he sets out for a long journey to retrieve his best friend from the claws of the cruel Ember King.

*because this is still in a process of an outline/1st draft, I'm still not sure about the name, it's only a working name for the protagonist

[talysalankil]

Fabula Nova Crystallis: The Mythology

I was trying to dig this video up to show a friend and it occurred to me that holy shit, it's become almost impossible to find this video that Square Enix only showed once at a conference in January 2011, and we're lacking in a proper English translation for it.

So I'm going to put it here for archival purposes and hope tumblr doesn't take it down, along with a translated transcript. I'll be working off Lissar's and FFWorld's translations of the video, using the canon names for the various entities (yes I know "soul" is technically a mistranslation of 心 heart but it is the canon one so hush).

Since I had extra time on my hands, I also put it up on Vimeo with subtitles on. I can provide the srt file (the syncing isn't super tight but since there's a lot of blank space around each line I decided to leave each subtitle for longer than necessary), if anyone's willing to work on translations, you can DM me.

The full transcript is under the cut:

Fabula Nova Crystallis, the new tale of the crystal

Once upon a time, the god Bhunivelze ruled the world. Bhunivelze defeated his mother, the goddess Mwynn, and took control of the world for himself. Mwynn disappeared into the unseen realm.

Bhunivelze was troubled: the world he now ruled over was destined to die. He believed this was a curse laid on the world by his mother Mwynn. He knew he had to destroy her to lift the curse. To do this, he set out to search for the door to the unseen realm where his mother waited. Using his will alone, he created the first fal’Cie.

First, he created the fal’Cie Pulse. The Focus he gave him was to clear out the world, and search for the door to Mwynn.

Next, he created the fal’Cie Etro. But it was a mistake. Unknowingly, he created her exactly in the image of Mwynn. Bhunivelze feared her, and gave Etro no power of her own.

Instead, he created the fal’Cie Lindzei. The Focus he gave him was to protect Bhunivelze from all who might seek to destroy him. Bhunivelze gave Lindzei one special duty. To wake him once the time came. Then he turned to crystal, and fell into an endless sleep.

Pulse wished to expand the world, so he created many fal’Cie and l’Cie.

Lindzei wished to protect the world, so he created many fal’Cie and l’Cie.

But Etro was powerless, and could make nothing of her own. Lonely, she thought of her mother, who she so resembled. Etro tore her own body apart, letting her blood flow to the earth, and disappeared from the visible world. From that blood, torn from her body, sprang humankind. Creatures that were born only to die.

The destruction of the visible world was no curse, only fate. The world was divided into two halves, the visible and the invisible. If the balance between these two were destroyed, the world itself would be destroyed.

The goddess Mwynn could do nothing to stop this fate. She was being swallowed into the chaos of the unseen realm. Just before her last moment, Etro came to her side. Mwynn told Etro that she must protect the balance of the world, before slipping into the chaos forever. But Etro was ignorant of the meaning behind Mwynn’s words.

Etro was lonely, but she felt affection for those humans who live only to die. As they died, she smiled, and gave them chaos. The chaos Etro gave them, the humans named “souls”. Their hearts would become their power, but the humans did not yet know this.

Soon, they called Pulse the all powerful ruler. Lindzei they named their protector, and Etro they named their goddess of death. The humans lived on the world, hold chaos inside their hearts. Because they held chaos so close, the world once again was in balance.

And Bhunivelze still sleeps in crystal stasis. Until the end of days, awaiting the right time.

[misdre]

now that nobody cares anymore

quick. post esc song&artist opinions

albania (titan): this was originally in albanian and it was.. alright? then they chose to send an english version to malmö. you lost me there

armenia (jako): i liked the colourful background in the live performance. nice roosters. this is just all cute and bubbly and so is the vocalist. that's about it

australia (one milkali (one blood)): poor australia, i really like the song. could have leaned in a little more to the whole aboriginal thing because that's obviously what makes this stand out as absolutely unique. they had one of the most interesting vocalists of the year but the live just didn't do it, not for me and apparently not really for anyone. then again i think it's kinda nice australia has achieved a status where they can comfortably NQ because it's no longer like Hey let's vote australia just because they're on eurovision and it's haha crazy. i think the song is better than some of the earlier ones they've qualified with though. bleh

austria (we will rave): oh you silly austria. the studio version of this was my early favourite together with rim tim tagi dim but the music video scares me and uuuhh the live? yeah uumm about that. kinda surprised it even qualified tbh. well! the song's still a banger. straight from the swedish banger factory but let's not talk about that. there will never be a day when 90s eurodance stops being the shit

azerbaijan (özünlə apar): erm. kudos for the traditional singing. i've heard this exactly once from start to finish (in SF1) so idk. let's put it like this: not THE most boring ballad this year

belgium (before the party is over): i like when he sings BEFORE THE PARTY IS OVER

croatia (rim tim tagi dim): meow cat please meow back. this is the most My Kind Of song this year, the kind i'd love and listen to outside esc too, favourite from first listen. people are being annoying about him not winning but whatever, coming second is very sexy you know. and you know what else is sexy

cyprus (liar): ORIGINALLY……this went in the same basket of "some girlboss with a sexy song idk" as malta and georgia and whatever who else… but then it kind of. got stuck in my head. and i kinda ironically started liking it. and then not so ironically. it kinda slaps? i have no excuse

czechia (pedestal): the song is good with a nostalgic kind of comfy rock sound. unfortunately it wasn't very strong live so into the NQ basket you go. i fucking love aiko's look tho i'm kinda homogay for her

denmark (sand): well…. this song's not BAD… but also just not very interesting. i got nothing. except sand in my

estonia ((nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi): that title means "we don't (really) know about (these) drugs". i always have a soft spot for estonians and this year they TOO just brought all party and fun (and finnish-made folk instruments!). the live wasn't very good imo and i think juries agreed but eh IT WAS FUN! EVERYONE HAD FUN. A PERFECT CHAOTIC MATCH TO WINDOWS95MAN

finland (no rules): SEE ME SLAYY. this was such a surprise winner in UMK, i was shook for a moment back then but ever since it's felt sooo right. so right. finland bringing in just the right kind of chaos every year and i'm very proud of it. the song genuinely grew on me over this spring, originally it felt like a jokey addition to all the "proper" UMK songs… ah how the turn tables. it's hilarious too that windows95man isn't even a musician and henri just kind of half-accidentally became his singer because they needed some vocalist for the song who can hit the notes. now they're probably hitched together as besties forever. did you know the performance is a reference to finnish mythology where the world is born from an egg

france (mon amour): just two words. JE T'AAAAAAAAA A AAAAAAAA A AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIME okay actually a third word also. king

georgia (firefighter): um. see malta below

greece (zári): i like marina but got nothing on this song

iceland (scared of heights): i'm sorry hera……… you're like an aunt who's just doing some jammin' in the karaoke on a cruise from turku to stockholm. mildly embarrassing but you just can't hate her

ireland (doomsday blue): CROWN THE WITCH CROWN THE WITCH CROWN THE WITCH YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRGGGHGH

italy (la noia): don't have much to say other than that i like the song, angelina is great, the performance was a bit boring. would have wanted stuff with her hair like the music video. but it was alright

latvia (hollow): daddy dons with one of my favourite voices this year. his blue armour outfit was a bit weird and unintentionally comical but it's okay. i really love this song and that's why they call me The bitch who likes the ballads

lithuania (luktelk): banger, love it, immediately takes me to the club. bass on the studio version bops. silvester is beautiful, loved his chunky outfit with a comically dramatic silhouette. poor guy was traumatised by having to perform after a Certain individual in the final, would give him a massive chunky hug. life's not fair but luktelk luktelk

luxembourg (fighter): imagine coming back to eurovision after decades and this is your performance. i think the song is alright, would have preferred if it were all in french. the live is an absolute nothingburger. i don't even remember what the staging looks like

malta (loop): UM sorry. i don't even remember this GJKNDSGJBSDG

moldova (in the middle): i.. kind of like this song? like the dadadadaddaa part? but not very much. it's surprisingly catchy for being so forgettable. and non-qualifying

netherlands (europapa): woww wasn't the final such a great show and a good time! i'm so glad he came fifth! a televote favourite too! yay! :)

….in other words that "it's now or never" got a bit too real. i wish to hug joost's chunky blue suit and cry a little. hoping he'll perform soon in finland since he seems to be making a song with käärijä and all. btw nice of bambie thug to bring dustin the turkey back to life as a dutch EU bird

norway (ulveham): i'm so shocked this came dead last, i thought it'd find its audience for sure. earlier in spring people hyped this to the point of some complaining it's overrated, god that aged like an avocado. the vocalist is adorable and sings (shouts??) like a mofo, there's a witchy vibe with a metal band, the lyrics read like a fairytale, it's in norwegian (their FIRST song in norwegian in idk how many years, over 10). ROBBED

poland (the tower): a cute little song, i like it! the performance aesthetic was on point but i started jokingly associating the song with my 4kingdoms rei (it started from the tiger's eye line.) and then the joke got not-so-jokey and so umm yes. and like our finnish commentator said: how nice of luna lovegood to try being a musician

portugal (grito): portugal just doing their portugal things like every portugal year. iolanda is cute.

san marino (11:11): this is the only NQ song that was robbed IMO, not only a genuinely nice little rock bop but the staging was one of the most fun ALL this year. you got dancers in pink skeleton onesies on stage and you don't even make her qualify? die

serbia (ramonda): imma fall asleep on that rock

slovenia (veronika): pre-show i somehow thought this would be a bigger deal than it turned out to be. then it just kind of. well. i actually like the song and thought raiven looked fucking sick on stage crawling around with that murderous look, she's welcome to kill me any time in the middle of a dark forest at night (bambie thug will prob be there also. ulveham playing in the distance. luna is taking notes)

spain (zorra): what absolute fucking icons, i stan this 56yo queen getting on stage to sing about whores being awesome. the song is a certified bop and they got men in corsets serving a plateful of ass, i don't even need anything else from eurovision

sweden (unforgettable): i have a masochistic relationship with melodifestivalen where i watch it every year while knowing full well i'll be disappointed. i was, again, disappointed. but after seeing what a disaster this year turned out to be, well first of all, good on sweden for not sending a swedish artist to represent this mess and having a couple of norwegian bois on instead, secondly, by the time the final came around i no longer had any hate in my heart for this because who cares. marcus&martinus are our little denim brothers and i wish them all the best

switzerland (the code): nemo is adorable, amazing, lovely, phenomenal, a legend, 100% deserving the victory, spinning like a beyblade while singing opera what more do you want. like WHO the fuck sings like that while doing some kinda acrobatics on stage in a short skirt. nemo does that's who

UK (dizzy): another embarrassing year for UK, wasn't it. they sent an actual superstar and he just kind of sang like shit and nobody cared. i don't like the song it genuinely annoys me, the performance was weird kind of gay, i dunno. sorry olly it didn't click

ukraine (teresa & maria): being ukrainian also i'm not much of an objective opinioner on this one. definitely preferred the live version over studio, it's breathtaking. jerry heil is sooo beautiful and what a voice. queens

funny how one day you listen to some new little songs without even knowing what country's entry it is and by the middle of may they're all my beloved friends.

[tyrantisterror]

Wizard School Mysteries: Book 2 Side Characters

Ok, the supporting cast expanded a lot in this book because of the tournament arc, but let's see if I can account for them all.

Actually, shit, first I have to go with two I forgot to add to the last batch, and pretty important ones at that. Zebul Blaa, the Dökkálfar/Dark Elf extra who ends up being part of the villainous plot in the first book. Dark elves in Norse mythology were born from the maggots that ate the giant Ymir's body, so in Midgaheim they're basically fly-people. Zebul himself is still in his maggot/larval stage of his life cycle at the start of the series, but as this concept art shows, that will change. He's got more to do in the overall story yet, so keep an eye out for him.

Laurel Creusa, meanwhile, is the student whose disappearance sets James on his whole mystery solving path. I tried to set up a red herring with her as well - James drops the word "tower" is his one conversation with her, which, given how the arcana are revealed in book 1, could have been taken as a hint that she was the final ally James needed to make in that book. But, alas, twas not to be - and I'm not sure if anyone fell for my ruse to this day.

Ok, back to book 2 proper. Professor Prospera Bubos and Professor Heka Tlancheb are the two teachers who are most responsible for the tournament at the center of the conflict in Tournament of Death, and it's fun because they're kind of polar opposites from the magic end of things - a professor of healing magic vs. a professor of combat magic - yet they both ultimately prove to be reasonable authority figures who protest the school turning an blind eye to how the students get hurt. Professor Bubos is loosely based on an alchemist character I drew ages back - mainly the big, pointy shoulders with prominent stitches. Meanwile Heka is just me being horny on main making fun of my own fondness for terrifying witch women.

We also get to see Professor Kobut Nyftek, who I think was mentioned in book 1 but not actually seen. They're one of the nicer teachers in the school, and costume-wise I took a lot of inspiration from Dr. Maruki's supervillain get up in Persona 5 Royal. There is... so much Persona in Wizard School Mysteries's DNA, way more than there is Harry Potter, and yet I know Harry Potter is the only thing it'll ever be compared to. A tragedy.

Simeon Helmschmied isn't a terribly complicated teacher concept - I just wanted to make him look like a badass, grizzled wizard blacksmith. D&D really popularized the idea of wizards not being armored and, like, I get it for mechanical reasons, but also I think some wizards deserve to also be heavily armored tanks.

Lacey Spidergrin is part of my ongoing attempt to sexualize Slenderman, and I think it's working gang.

As I said in the last post, before I enacted the grand plan to create a vast reserve of Spare Wizard Students, I plotted out a few supporting cast students based on alternate names for the Major Tarot Arcana. Godfrey Lionhardt and Columbina Paggliacci are based on alt names for The Magician - the Magus and the Juggler respectively - and loosely embody the traits of that card in turn, with flavorings based on the alt names they're given. A Magus is a more respected, princely equivalent of a magician - "Gift of the Magi" and all that - so Godfrey has a princely look about him. His last name, Lionhardt, marks him as being part of one of the noble houses in his home country of Bretonce, so he may well actually be a prince for all you know. Meanwhile, Columbina obviously takes the clown associations with "The Juggler" and plays them up to the hilt - which also allowed me to emphasize the fact that clowns are a monster species in my setting rather than just a job strange weirdos take.

I've mentioned how Joan Tatou is basically a collection of traits that Margot and Gretchen lost in the prewriting stages of the series, so I won't go heavily into that here. She's the Papesse, i.e. the High Priestess if she was more imperious and French. Wiglaf and Wagner, meanwhile, represent The Road and The Victory, which are alternate names for the Chariot - and also words that are used in a lot of descriptions of the Chariot, which makes them both feel like incomplete versions of it. That is to say, if you substitute The Road or The Victory for The Chariot in your Tarot deck, you're kind of specifically simplifying the meaning of the card. Which is why Wiglaf and Wagner are, like, just Margot's soccer hooligan fans - an extension of the Chariot, if you will.

Tinnea Lunae's prompt was "vampire who's primary animal form is a moth instead of a bat." She's trans, too, even if it hasn't come up yet. She, Titania, Sadie, and (eventually) Zebul work on the school's Newsparchment, What's the Buzz?

Grammy Crumblebuttons played a valuable role as a red herring in book 2, but her part in the narrative isn't over yet. Demented old women are too fun to write.

The Great Nyaa and Ursula Cobb are both animal-themed gag characters, but I like to think they're pretty distinct outside of that. Not that we'll know very much about the Great Nyaa given, you know, what happens in book 2.

Ok I think we can actually get to the contestants in the tournament now. Aldonza Dulcinea's outfit is specifically based on the movie outfits for Professor Umbridge. Her earlier designs were less good more generic wizard outfits, but by this point the "Let's spite the Terf Queen" streak in me was strong, and I thought it'd be fun to have a plus size character who's into pink and "girly" stuff not only be a hero, but an explicitly kind and beloved one.

I think my original concept for Breowyn was "what if a studio head forced me to tone down Margot's character concept to be more easily marketable." She's a warrior girl but, like, in the "kind of a tomboy" way that's socially acceptable instead of being a giant with a fucked up arm who looms over everybody. Ironically, I ended up really liking her design - I guess even a watered down Margot is still a fun character for me to work with.

Waldorf Brimli is, like, a wizard in the vein of the evil cult leaders in H.P. Lovecraft's stuff, and a student in the vein of those specific kind of nerds/geeks who are deeply misanthropic and antisocial under the excuse that they assume everyone hates them so they might as well hate everyone back. So, like, the kind of person who'd update the Chris Chan wiki, basically.

Gyrion Clodson is part of the "LOTR Gang," a subgroup of the Spare Wizard Students comprised entirely of Midgaheim versions of various sapient races from LOTR. Gyrion is our dwarf, though in Midgaheim dwarves are synonymized with gnomes.

My goal with Serena, beyond simply homaging magical girl tropes, was to have her be a "badass" character who's explicitly feminine - all her kickass offensive spells use pretty shiny crystals, she loves pink so much that her hair turned that color, she's very much a girly girl. So when I picked her opponents in the tournament, I wanted them to be various shades of masculine to contrast her, with three of them specifically underestimating her because of her feminine traits.

Margot's opponents (Shere Statchell included but not pictured here since she's in the previous post) are meant to play on different traits she has - Shere is has a physical disability (even worse than Margot's, since she fully lost her arm), Chungo and Eruz are both inhumanly large and somewhat ostracized for the danger people fear they present, and Sarkani is a wizard whose powers are distinctly ominous, even if she revels in that rather than trying to hide and restraint it like Margot. Sarkani also has an explicit dragon motif to go with Margot's more subtle one.

Next: alternate outfits!

[thefugitivesaint]

'The Good Lord Bird', Episode 2. Ethan Hawke playing John Brown in an adaptation of the 2013 novel by James McBride "about Henry Shackleford, an enslaved person, who unites with John Brown in Brown's abolitionist mission." Some context: the story takes place during the 'Bleeding Kansas' conflict, which was basically a state-level civil war that took place between 1854 to 1860 and was a precursor to the country's Civil War over slavery. ::Brief, slightly unfocused rant begins:: Without getting into a deep dive into American history or the legacy of John Brown, I will say that the contemporary American Rights reactionary measures to erase the knowledge and the teaching of America's history in favor of a truncated—and some might say imaginary—accounting of America's past in order to "protect white children from feeling bad" about the history they've inherited is just another iteration of the very white supremacist philosophy they deny this country was founded on. It also speaks to who they identify and empathize with, consciously or unconsciously, whenever American history is discussed. It never seems to be the abolitionists or people like James Brown who gave their lives to the pursuit of destroying the institution of slavery (and it's certainly never the enslaved themselves). Instead, they choose to center on notions like "guilt" and "fault", often denying that the abomination of institutional slavery has any material relation to how contemporary American society is constituted and that a proper accounting of the legacy of that abomination is unnecessary, even (somehow) "detrimental" (and, even more improbably, a racist act itself aimed against white Americans). I say fuck all that. We all live in the failed echo of Reconstruction, an opportunity in American history that could have re-shaped the country for the better, an opportunity that was squandered and, ultimately, destroyed by the same reactionary forces denouncing how we discuss America's history today (Note: for a recent exploration of this I suggest Heather Cox Richardson's book 'How the South Won the Civil War'). The contemporary American Right's continued assertions that the history of slavery isn't entangled into every aspect of American history—it's founding, it's growth, it's prosperity and how it's politics is conducted—serves to protect the mythology of "American exceptionalism", a myth to which they are committed (they've even revived the notion, introduced by the Columbia historian Ulrich Bonnell Phillips in his 1918 book 'American Negro Slavery' that slavery was "beneficial" to those enslaved and that, "at the time" slavery was "no big deal.") Again, fuck all that. ::Brief, slightly unfocused rant ends:: Whatever flaws John Brown carried with him in life, his moral opposition to slavery and his willingness to act on that belief was commendable. In the words of Frederick Douglass on John Brown, "His zeal in the cause of my race was far greater than mine — it was as the burning sun to my taper light — mine was bounded by time, his stretched away to the boundless shores of eternity. I could live for the slave, but he could die for him."

[blackcestfest]

Blackcest Fest Anonymous Masterlist 

Categories: Femslash, Het, Sirius/Regulus, Sirius/Regulus/Other, Other Slash (Not all fics fit neatly into these categories)

Femslash: 

Eyes On The Bride Ships: Druella Rosier Black/Walburga Black, Druella Rosier Black/Minerva McGonagall Rating: E Wordcount: 2,456

It's Druella Rosier and Cygnus Black's wedding, and Druella isn't acting like the proper bride.

Sweet Possession  Ship: Walburga Black/Bellatrix Black Lestrange  Rating: E  Word count: 4624

Bellatrix has always worshipped the ground her aunt walks on - and so perhaps, Walburga thinks, this was inevitable. Bellatrix was always going to ask, and she was always going to say yes.

Bellatrix Black: An Elegy  Ships: Andromeda/Bellatrix, Bellatrix/Cygnus, Bellatrix/Rita Skeeter Rating: E  Wordcount: 5,328 Warnings: Non-con, underage

“Bellatrix Black Lestrange was survived by her husband, sister, nephew, and me, whatever I could be considered, if I could even be considered someone who survived her.”

Het: 

they wed  Ship: Sirius Black/Bellatrix Black  Rating: G  Word count: 6446

and it goes better than expected  Sirius and Bellatrix, and their starry mythology

Vérité  Ships: Sirius Black/Bellatrix Black Lestrange/Barty Crouch Jr., Sirius Black/Bellatrix Black Lestrange, Sirius Black/Barty Crouch Jr. Rating: E  Wordcount: 2,957

“By Salazar.” Surely she uses magic somehow to make her sigh resound through all their cells, “let me know when you meet a boy who doesn’t like it hard and fast, Bartemius." To Sirius she says, "darling, be a good boy for me and tell me what you’re doing?” Her voice sings across their dank surroundings. “Sometimes, babydoll, you have to let them take the lead.”

Daddy's Girl  Ship: Bellatrix/Cygnus  Rating: M  Word count: 1,550  Warnings: underage, rape/non-con

Cygnus prepared Bellatrix to be a good wife to her future husband.

blue light of the flame  Ships: Sirius Black/Andromeda Black Tonks, Past Sirius/Bellatrix, Past Andromeda/Alphard   Rating: G Word count: 1,748

Andromeda goes to visit Sirius in Number Twelve the week before he dies. They say goodbye.

Her Good Boy  Ship: Druella Rosier Black/Sirius Black  Rating: E  Wordcount: 1,273  Warnings: Underage

Walburga has always claimed that Sirius doesn’t know how to behave. Druella thinks that couldn’t be father from the truth.

Short Distance Between Love and Insanity  Ship: Sirius/Bellatrix  Rating: E  Wordcount: 1,829

Bellatrix HATES Sirius, so why do they end up in bed together at every family ball?

M-A-M-A B-O-Y, Mama’s boy, Mama’s boy- Ships: Walburga Black/Regulus Black, Past Walburga Black/Alphard Black  Rating: E  Wordcount: 2,101

Who says romance has to be dead just because her incesty brother died? Her son can always take his place.

Sirius/Regulus: 

Happiness  Ship: Regulus Black/Sirius Black  Rating: T  Wordcount: 1,184  Warnings: Mention of past abuse

After spending the first few weeks of the summer at the Potter's Sirius starts getting letters, a lot of letters. They don't stop and when Bellatrix shows up and drags him away to see his brother, Sirius relents, vowing to bring him back to the Potter's.

(ART) That Time My Brother Kissed Me and Not His Boyfriend  Ship: Regulus Black/Sirius Black  Rating: G 

Sirius didn't know that polyjuicing into one of his mates would lead to a surprise he never saw coming.

Kisses Are For Lovers  Ship: Regulus Black/Sirius Black  Rating: E  Wordcount: 13,447  Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Incest, Attempted Suicide

Regulus has always loved Sirius but for as long as he can remember Sirius has always pushed him away. He lost track of him after Hogwarts but now that he is free from his mother's influence and has found Sirius again, he will never let him go.

A Candle in the Dark  Ship: Regulus Black/Sirius Black  Rating: E  Wordcount: 6,674  Warnings: Underage, Referenced non-con

"Hey, Reggie? Want to see the stars with me, just like old times?”

Now That We Don't Talk  Ship: Sirius/Regulus  Rating: E  Word count: 18,943  Warnings: Past Child Abuse, underage (17 year old)

Sirius and Regulus have been estranged since Sirius ran away at the age of 16 with his best friend from boarding school, James Potter. But they have recently moved to London (the Potters are insistent that they try and work for a living). James is trying to get into a new relationship, but Sirius feels lonely and tries to reach out to some old friends.

Take My Body  Ship: Regulus/Sirius  Rating: E Wordcount: 3,140  Warnings: Underage

The last person Sirius expected to find on his front step was his estranged little brother begging Sirius to fuck him.

Winner Takes All Ship: Sirius/Regulus  Rating: E  Wordcount: 8,893  Warnings: Underage

"You call that a kiss?" It’s all fun and games until it’s fun and games and groping.

The Ties That Bind Me (To Horoscopes and Fate)  Ship: Sirius/Regulus  Rating: E  Wordcount: 6,007  Warnings: rape/non-con, moderate violence, underage, physical abuse

"Sirius could hear Orion in Regulus's room in the middle of the night when they were supposed to be sleeping. One of those nights he decides to sneak into his brother's room after their father leaves, just to check on him, but what he sees makes it impossible not to take advantage of the situation."

Lessons  Ship: Regulus Black/Sirius Black  Rating: Explicit  Wordcount: 2,026  Warnings: Underage

Before starting Hogwarts, the Black siblings are extremely sheltered. When Sirius comes back after his first term, he can't wait to show Regulus that he can use what's between his legs to make himself feel better.

Sirius/Regulus/Other: 

Love in Different Shapes Ship: Sirius/Regulus + Severus  Rating: E  Wordcount: 2,742  Warnings: Rape/non-con, underage

Father asked Regulus to dose Sirius with a potion, so he would find an "illegible partner" and return to the family to do his duty of marrying and producing beautiful little pure-blood children. Too late Regulus finds out: Father didn't read the fine print.

Naughty, Knotty, Naughty  Ships: Regulus/Sirius, Regulus/Sirius/Harry  Rating: E  Wordcount: 1k 

Regulus tells Harry a bit of Black history.

With Seed As Strong As Blood  Ships: Orion Black/Regulus Black, Regulus Black/Sirius Black, Orion Black/Regulus Black/Sirius Black  Rating: E Warnings: Underage, Rape/Non-con  Wordcount: 2,200

"You want him," Orion states unquestioningly, his fingers trailing along Regulus' side to the dip of his waist and those widening hips... "Do your duty," Orion commands Sirius, "and you shall have your fill of our sweet Omega."

Take me with you (find a way)  Ship: Regulus/Sirius/Narcissa  Rating: E  Wordcount: 10,352

When Walburga sets up a wedding between Regulus and Narcissa, Sirius vows to do whatever it takes to get back to his brother.

James Knows  Ships: Regulus Black/Sirius Black, Sirius Black/James Potter, Regulus Black/Sirius Black/James Potter  Rating: E  Wordcount: 5,030  Warnings: Underage Sex

James knew his best friend. He knew his best friend more than anyone else could know another person. From the first moment they met they were in sync in almost every way. Nearly every sentence that included James also included Sirius. Sirius’s wand felt just as natural in his hand as James’s own. They were closer than any two people could be. It was as if their very souls were made of the same bright light. So why didn’t Sirius admit that he was fucking his own brother?

Other Slash:

finders keepers  Ship: Draco Malfoy/Sirius Black  Rating: E  Wordcount: 1,269  Warnings: Underage Tags: Animagus Bestiality, Cousin Incest, Anal Sex, Knotting

Draco finds Padfoot on the grounds at Hogwarts and smuggles him into his dorm. He's always wanted a dog.

[baronessblixen]

Saw your tags:

I have a theory I wanted to outsource, and so came here. :DDD

CC often uses biblical language in his mytharc episodes, often at odds with his own messaging. And I was wondering... is he trying to use biblical phraseology in order to access a quick and dirty mythological scope for the average viewing audience? Drawing from his knowledge of Catholicism? Or trying to put a bunch of disparate parts together and see what sticks?

I do think his niche interest is in fate; and though that's a concept that can be done really well-- Monday, for example, or the concept of Mulder and Scully as a fated duo, for other example-- I don't know if it works how he posits.

The problem with mythological (or any kind of) fate, I believe (and I'm spit balling now), is that it must carefully adhere to a set of rules with definite, distinct guidelines. If this, then that. If that, then this. Broken only if the characters change their own fates by changing who they are, etc. Those concepts are fun to play with for curses or... etc., etc.; but it doesn't quite work, I believe, with a constantly shifting mytharc.

In short: I can see the CC vision; but believe the reliance on really archaic religious wording kind of... hindered? his message. I mean, who is going to take a zealot spouting judgment day seriously if they sound two hundred years older than the very texts they believe in?

It's a two-layered problem: using a medium-- religion in this case-- out of its proper context to give a mystical flavor to your script but not following its rules; then mashing it with other mythological ideas without following those rules. Thus, you ultimately get Existence that has three separate ideas for the conception of the magical or miraculous or doomsday baby. Pick your poison.

tldr: The tools, be they monsters or mythology, must be wielded with proper care.

Or so I posit. ;)))

I'm not well-versed in Christianity - or any religion - cause I don't have much interest in it. Many of the parallels he's drawn I've only become aware of after the fact because fans were analyzing episodes. So I neither know what his messaging is nor what it's supposed be.

It often feels to me like he's trying to squeeze in too many ideas and concepts - including religion and religious symbolism. Like you said. He mashes everything together and hopes for the best. I mean the whole Biogenesis arc is that, isn't? The way Mulder and CSM are laying there look like Jesus on the cross.

I know I read about CC and religion once but I don't remember his stance on it anymore. I'm not sure if he's really interested in fate as a concept or if it's more like prophecies. I very much agree that his biblical and oftentimes metaphorical and allegorial wording doesn't always work.

[skullduggeryandfilibuster]

Introductions to Writeblr From a Writer

So I never wrote one of these. Probably a good a place as any to get my foot in the door.

Who Am I?

I'm John (he/him), and I'm a 21 year old writer. I'm looking for friends, because my greatest fear is being alone in a room of a thousand people because friends are nice to have. I had the unfortunate realization that the only way I can share the stuff I make, is to actually make it? Eugh. Anywho, I'm a big fan of fantasy, mystery, comedy, mythology, folktales and urban legends, and lil guys in funny hats. I'm not here to write or read fanfiction. I respect the field, but it's not for me, apologies.

Well What Are You Here For?

Blogging about writing! Like actually! Not just thinking about it, or murmuring under my breath in the shower how cool it would be to run a blog, but like, actually doing it! I want this to be a place I can give my thoughts about storytelling and art, such as proper reviews or random ravings. I want this to be a place where I can work with other writers to hone our craft, and help each other out! Feedback, support, advice, criticism, you name it. I want this to be a place where I can share what I've written, lest the flashing cursor continue to mock me. From short stories, to tidbits of longer things, to flash fiction to everything in-between. I've been in a writing "rut," you could call it, for some time, and I'm hoping this blog will encourage me to get my fingers typing and track/show off my progress.

Huh, What Are You Writing Then?

I mostly write fantasy. My favorite type of media are stories that can make me laugh one scene and cry the next without missing a beat, so that's what I strive to write. I'm working on several things, but really I'm interested in making new things; stuff from scratch. But I'll share some tidbits of the WIPs I got:

Codename: TOaO

This is the project I've been working on the longest. It is also the one I am least comfortable sharing. Oh, not because it's my baby or my most precious project. It's cause I'm in the process of gutting it and stitching it back together to make my own Frankenstein's Monster! (did you know Frankenstein was the scientist not the--) I've been reassessing how I write and outline and reassessing this story for the last few months, and I'm kinda taking a break to work on something else right now. It's a comedy fantasy story in the vein of Discworld. The main protagonist is the world's biggest normie (that is the truth), who is an aspiring hero! ...And he can hear the narrator of the book but don't worry about that it won't lead to any problems like anxiety or depression or insanity or–– That's all I'm willing to share, because that's the only thing I know is 100% staying. Other characters, conflicts, settings, plot lines... who's to say what'll stay or what'll go? (Me. I'm to say.)

Video Essay About––

So yeah, I'm making a video essay discussing the writing of a television series. "Oh that's cool! What's the show?" Ehaha! Hahaha! Ha... sniff... ha... ugh... "Oh, this is a popular show that you think has bad writing, isn't it?" Nods Yeah... the internet. It's a scary place. And "hating" on things that people agree are bad is still gonna get you hate. But this is a passion project. I am 95% done with the script, and in the process of editing it down. It is sitting at 33k words right now. So yeah, safe to say, whatever show this is, know that I have thoughts. I'm excited to move onto the next phase of actually recording it, so that'll be fun. You'll get to see my beautiful face. (I can assure you I am very beautiful.)

Some Short Stories

These aren't actually WIPs, they're WHFs. (Work has Finished.) I have two short stories, one about a sorcerer's apprentice who murders a spell, another about a delusional overseer on a Southern plantation who is just baffled that one of the enslaved people would run away. Two very different stories, fairly different tones, and I may or may not post them here if people are interested. We'll see. Let me know.

Facts (Fun Optional) About Me

I'm neurodivergent.

I hate all conspiracy theories. Yes, even the fun ones.

I love Scooby-Doo.

I have strong opinions about a fair deal of things...

...But I'm more interested in what other people think about those things and why.

Currently Reading Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson. It's pretty good so far. Excited for Wind and Truth.

Thanks for reading. I know that was a lot. I appreciate it. If you're a writer yourself, or hell even if you're not, say hi. I want to see what other writers are up to, I've already followed a few folks, but I'm excited to follow more. Have a great day.

[theuniversitychallengereview]

Some Good Old Fashioned Number Crunching

Winningest

Imperial and Manchester are the two winningest institutions in University Challenge history.

Whenever I have used 'winningest' in the past I have always done so with an air of the tongue-in-cheek. With the assumption that it wasn't actually a real word, and that it was just something American sports commentators said. But it has just occurred to me that not everyone reading this will be consumers of American sports commentary, so to those people it may be coming across as bizarre at best, or just downright wrong.

However, in the manner of fleek, skibidi toilet and bae, it has entered the conventional and agreed upon lexicon. Language is constantly evolving, and as demonstrated by the wave of ever-cringier TikToks/adverts doing the rounds on Twitter this week, new terms are constantly being coined.

But back to Manchester and Imperial.

Let's Crunch Some Numbers

I have finally managed to do some data analysis. This is something I've been saying I was going to do for years, but I've never done it.

Until now.

I thought I'd need to write some proper code for it and (not knowing how to write proper code) have been put off.

What I was forgetting is that most of the time a Pivot table will do.

Pivot tables - the saviour of many a work-spreadsheet (and of my iTunes most played artists data, as I discussed in this month's Patreon post) - have come up clutch once again. (Coming up clutch is another American sports-ism, incidentally).

So I have crunched some numbers on these most winningest of teams, and can share some with you below.

Appearance Data

4-time winners Magdalen are the most appearingest (okay, this one isn't a real word) Oxbridge college with 1 more appearance than Trinity, Cambridge (themselves 3-time winners).

I initially had Durham 4th, but at the last minute I spotted an oversight - 11 of their appearances had been logged as "Uni of Durham" rather than "Durham Uni". It is very possible that there are more errors like that in the data, so if you spot any mistakes please let me know.

But how many points have each of these institutions scored, I hear you ask. I hear you clamouring for that information, actually - and here it is.

So far we have done some counting (to get the number of appearances), and some adding (to get the sum of the points), but we haven't done any real number crunching, which is what I promised.

I have removed institutions with fewer than 10 episodes, because thats the kind of thing you do when you are crunching numbers. I will also note that although some of the teams look like they have the same points per game, when you go to multiple decimal places the order is correct. I could have made this more obvious by adding the decimal places to the table, but I think that would have made it a bit busy.

I don't want to waste all my stats ammo on one post, so let's move onto the episode - could Imperial start closing the appearance gap on Manchester?

If you want to watch the episode beforereading the rest of the post you can do so here.

Here's your first starter for ten.

Sutherland is first out of the gate for Manchester, but unfortunately her guess of moth is wrong. I had guessed butterfly, so was thinking for a second that she may have been quite unlucky, but Spry buzzes correctly with armadillo so she (and I) can't feel too hard done by.

A full set of bonuses on maritime republics (called thalassocracies), which are not to be confused with hydraulic empires (which is a civilisation ruled by a monopoly on the water supply, like in Mad Max: Fury Road), gives Imperial (another word relating to empires) a 30-point lead. This quickly becomes 55 thanks to Salamanca Camacho and a hat-trick on mythology.

Spry buzzes on the next starter and pulls a face like he thinks he's screwed up, but his guess of Kissinger is correct, and it is allowed by Rajan who lightly scolds him for the slight delay in answering. They finally drop a bonus, giving Versailles instead of Paris, and Easow follows this up by dragging Manchester out of the negatives with theravada.

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Could this be the turning point in the match?

Spoiler - it was not.

Manchester lost another five points thanks to a precocious buzz, and Elkouby picked it up to reaffirm Imperial's control. Spry's third put the London side into three figures, and they continued their charge from there.

Imperial are looking ominous at this point, which is perhaps unsurprising given their recent pedigree in this competition. Because while they have only won one more title than Manchester, three of their five wins have come in the past five years, while Manchester haven't won for eleven years. And indeed Manchester's semi-final appearance last year was their first at that stage since their 2013 victory.

Which makes Manchester the fallen giant of University Challenge, with Imperial rising to challenge their dynastic run from 2006 to 2013 in which they never failed to make it to at least the semi-finals.

No Mercy

Going into the music round, Imperial hold a lead of 140 points. Manchester's only hope is to squeeze their way into a high-scoring loser spot, but that would be possible only with the help of Imperial, who show no signs of letting up. Spry turns to Salamanca Camacho, clearly the classical music expert of the team, and he buzzes confidently with Rhapsody in Blue to take the starter.

The man from Madrid brings up Imperial's double-century, before Easow wakes Manchester from their slumber with Walt Whitman. It was going to take a huge effort to even break into triple figures from here, but Crossley wasn't going to give up with out a fight, taking their second consecutive starter with Congo.

Imperial 310 - 75 Manchester

Its early, but Imperial look like one of the teams to beat again this year (along with their fellow 300-ers Bristol). Manchester can count themselves unlucky to have come up against such a juggernaut. At the very least they managed to add one more appearance to their existing record, which Imperial are coming for.

Join me next week for Reading (19 apps) vs Exeter (24 apps), and subscribe if you haven't already for more excellent data analysis.