#opa ring

[emmasmith2905]

Opal Jewelry: A Union of Beauty and Brilliance

Opals are unique crystals that are formed through the interaction of silica and water, which results in the creation of tiny spheres that diffract light to display a myriad of colors. This play of color is what sets opals apart from other gemstones and makes them highly sought after for jewelry. Opal Jewelry is the perfect blend of beauty and style. Opal is associated with Venus, which is further connected with luxury & relationships. Associating oneself with a universal awareness is frequently associated with the Sahasrara chakra. Opal is the birthstone for Libras; however, because of its benefits and beauty, persons born in other months can also wear it.

[babushkatty]

Tranquil SAGAU - Part 5

-> Part 1

-> Part 4

-> Part 6

Crepus Ragnvindr had been ready to die.

Ursa the Drake was a living legend amongst people of Mondstadt, a terror beyond comprehension that left destruction and death in its' wake for a millenia, with no equal to threaten it.

Utterly uncontested and utterly beyond control.

The only way to survive Ursa the Drake was to never cross path with it at all, he knew that, but it did nothing to quell his resolve.

Crepus had already been reaching for his Delusion, ready to lay down his life to protect the caravan, to protect his son with everything he had despite how hopelessly outmatched he was, despite swearing to himself to never use the Delusion at all--

His sons were worth so much more than any personal values he swore to uphold.

But he hesitated.

He didn't know why he hesitated. Ursa was right there, playing around with his son like he wasn't one of the strongest Knights of Favonius Mondstadt had, like he wasn't one of the strongest people he knew, like he wasn't trying his best to protect everyone, despite being so terribly young and undeserving of such a heavy burden that should have been his instead. The drake could have chosen any moment to get serious, to stop playing with its' food, to kill his son without even so much as trying, so why was he hesitating?

Something deep inside told him to wait.

He didn't know if it was mere instinct, if it was a higher power staying his hand or something else entirely -- but he hesitated just long enough to hear a roar from the distance.

He had to dig his feet into the ground and brace himself so the sudden storm wouldn't sweep him off his feet as it did Diluc.

His eyes watered as he tried to keep them open.

Ursa screeches a horrible sound that has his ears ringing as a dragon the color of the sky itself landed roughly on the drake -- pinning it to the ground even while it trashed and tried to throw the dragon off.

Faintly, he remembered the tales his Opa shared over a candle when they both couldn't sleep. Stories of a brilliant azure dragon blessed by Anemo itself, a dear friend of Lord Barbatos that has supposedly fallen when valiantly defending Mondstadt from a danger many centuries past.

And then a person he hadn't noticed beforehand at all slipped down from the dragon's (one of the Four Winds, he couldn't help but think hysterically, high on adrenaline and hope both) back, looking as casual as casual one could be despite the grand entrance and the dangerous drake still wiggling around underneath the dragon.

Off-handedly, he noted that they looked like they rolled out of bed and didn't bother changing. It was such a contrast against the majesty of the dragon it brought a little clarity to his mind and finally let him think a little.

He didn't reach for the Delusion again.

The conversation between the two flew over his head almost entirely as he worked on centering himself. He caught bits and pieces, of course, something about stalling and about being able to put Ursa down permamently (which he noted to himself so he could ask later, far too shaken to really focus on it now, but knowing it was too important to Mondstadt, to himself, to the safety of his sons to simply forget).

He only really got back to himself when he was mid-handshake with the mystery dragon raider, a wave of calm washing over him and the fog he hadn't even realized was muddling his senses lifting from his mind. The weird feeling of hesitation that stopped him from using the Delusion seemed to almost purr at him in satisfaction like a smug cat, before it slipped away like the wind.

He couldn't help but grin brightly at the newly introduced (Name), feeling an invisible weight lift off his shoulders.

The Knights of Favonius came with Kaeya at their helm soon after, most likely having assembled in a hurry after getting Diluc's hawk and hurrying all the way here as much as the horses and the armor allowed.

Kaeya was frazzled, worried and looking like he'd collapse from relief when he saw everyone was fine.

Kaeya was fine.

Healthy.

Uninjured.

Logically, he knew he would be fine. He knew Kaeya was far from the danger and that he was surrounded by other talented, strong Knights, but the physical reminder as he hugged both his sons tightly was appreciated.

Crepus Ragnvindr had been ready to die, but he was glad it hadn't come to that.

He had a feeling that had it not been for (Name), things would not have ended so favorably though.

A feeling of warm, soft gratitude swelled up in his heart and he couldn't help but invite them for dinner to show his thanks, at least partly. A bit of food hardly made a dent in the debt he owed them, but it was a start.

He'd think how to possibly thank the Dragon of the East at a later date.

Perhaps Elzer or Adeline would have some ideas?

☆(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ* ✨ Author Note✨

Some Crepus POV as a lil treat for everyone, to show that this truly isn't a cult fic. There is no obsession, no immediate recognition, just a bunch of really nice feelings when you're around All-Mother.

Though Crepus was a bit busy freaking out about Ursa and his sons and the assumed KIA Dvalin popping back into existence only to skeedadle immediatelly after (honestly, we should all aspire to be like Dvalin, what a damn diva), so those nice feelings didn't exactly get a front row performance XD

Guess who's gonna be really suspectible to All-Mother's presence? There are multiple answers, one of them we've already met!

Well, we met two, but one was more prevalent. Semantics, semantics~ *waving hand dismissively*

I'm getting a lot of comments and repost tags and I love each and every single one, I promise I read everything even if I don't respond to it ❤✨

✨Taglist✨

@game-savvy @chaoticfivesworld @mmeatt @avalordream @ymechi @andromeda-gay @naynayaa @undecidingfate @thedevioussmirk @tumb3ld0wn

Yell at me if I missed you!

[solaslow74]

A short and simple fic for day 1 of @goldengroovy's @olnfweek2024!

Prompt - Soulmates/First Meet

MC - Jin

It was quite fortunate that it was a plastic bowl, and not a glass one, that Mrs. Baumann was ladeling her freshly made soup into, as the sudden and repeated ringing of the doorbell might’ve startled her into dropping it.

It didn’t, of course- she’d already started adjusting to that sound announcing the arrival of her granddaughter, so she didn’t even spill a drop- but really! Imagine the mess!

But there wasn’t time to linger on that- somebody needed to get the door and stop that ringing, for heaven’s sake.

“Ernst!” called Mrs. Baumann, setting down the filled bowl and beginning to dole out soup to another. No response came, so with a huff, she left the task at hand to go and let her granddaughter in. It was with an exasperated expression that she set to unlocking and jostling the door open. But thoughts of how little help she gets around here flew out the door with the same whoosh as the blur of glittering gold fluff that flew in.

Unlike the ringing, which ceased with the opening of the door, this did startle Mrs. Baumann, and she turned as if spun around by the gust that followed the sparkling, jingling shape inside.

“And what’s got you in such a hurry, little lady?” she asked of the not-so-mysterious intruder. The blur known as Tamarack finally slowed, already a step up the staircase. The force of her sudden stop left her noisy bag swinging back and forth. She answered the question with a wide grin.

“I need to write something down, Omi!”

That was odd; the lively youngest member of the Baumann household wasn’t really the journaling or note-taking type. She trusted her good memory to keep track of anything important, and with the kind of spontaneity she had, writing down plans in advance was a foreign concept, too. But Mrs. Baumann hardly had time to wonder about this uncharacteristic event before Tamarack was stomping up the stairs again.

“Well, dinner’s ready, so come down soon!” she called up the stairs. “And bring Opa with you while you’re at it!”

She may as well have saved her breath on that pair of requests, though, because neither her husband nor her granddaughter appeared until Mrs. Baumann marched up the stairs herself. After retrieving a remorseful Mr. Baumann from the master bedroom- he had laid down for a “short” rest and may well have slept through dinner without her- Dorothea knocked on Tamarack’s bedroom door. A moment later, it swung open to reveal Tamarack with a gleeful look and a pair of colored pencils clutched in her hand. Her supremely-important task must have been completed, as she came down for dinner without complaint.

She wasn’t yet out of surprises, though, as she broke the contented silence of everyone enjoying her Omi’s soup with a question.

“Omi, what’s a soulmate?” Tamarack asked with a genuinely quizzical look, giving no indication that she found the inquiry at all unusual. Mrs. Baumann made a small sound of amusement, while Mr. Baumann’s expression hardly changed as he continued his methodical eating motions, though his gentle eyes were keenly fixed on his granddaughter now. With no forthcoming context from Tamarack, Mrs. Baumann took a moment to consider her answer, dabbing her mouth with a napkin.

“Well, it’s like someone’s true love, dear. A person they’re meant to be with, like your Opa is to me. There are lots of stories about what it means to be a soulmate, but that’s the idea.”

Tamarack listened earnestly, her cheeks rosy but her expression unabashed. “Wow. I thought so.” And that was all she said about that. Mrs. Baumann could only chuckle to herself and wonder what had prompted the question. But just as quickly as the topic had come up, it shifted again, as Tamarack began to chatter about the forest fun she’d had that day.

That didn’t mean the topic had left her thoughts, though. In fact, it was the first thing on Tamarack’s mind when she returned to her room after dinner. Soulmates, true love- those magical concepts danced around in her head until it felt fuzzy, like when she had taken one too many spins on the tire swing. And the music they danced to swelled to a crescendo as Tamarack began to finish the page she’d been working on.

The two simple figures drawn onto it in all her favorite colors might’ve been recognizable enough by their hair- a sparkling gold on the left and a sky-blue on the right- but they were labeled, just in case. The first was “Me”, and the second, in careful lettering, was “Jin”. The pair of smiling kids held hands above a big blank space, which Tamarack (the real one) now began to fill out, alternating colors with every letter she wrote. The letters got smaller as they went, as the space began to run out at the end of the page, but not one was left out. So, Tamarack finally dropped the colored pencils back into their case, and admired her handiwork.

“SOULMATES”.

Not a label, perhaps, as much as it was a wish. After all, Tamarack had only met the boy depicted on this sheet earlier that day, and a “soulmate” sounded awfully serious. But that warm feeling that had sprung to life on their first encounter had lasted all day. It was real! And writing it down, taking that feeling inside her and putting it down on paper, where it could be seen, made it more real than ever.

Not that it should be seen by just anyone. This was special, and secret. Not because her crush was anything embarrassing- Tamarack would shout it from the rooftops if needed- but because a secret wish was all the more likely to come true. Clutching the paper to her chest and squinting her eyes, Tamarack wished so hard it felt like she might burst. Jin was ten, he was new, he liked the forest- please let him be the same about this!

“They’re both ten. They’re both new. They both like the forest.”

Mr. Qiu Lin tapped a finger to his other hand with each new fact he related about his two new neighbors. Then he put on an expression of total surprise for the next one, his hands spreading in disbelief: “And you won’t believe this, but the girl, Tamarack- she’s been here a week and I hadn’t seen her once!”

Qiu’s dad laughed, the busy task of cleaning up the kitchen after dinner not distracting him from his son’s account. “That is unbelievable. You keep a pretty good tab on the other kids around here.”

“I know!” Qiu cried in dismay. Then, the drama hanging in the air dissipated, and Qiu’s arms fell. “But this is good. One new neighbor kid would be exciting, a pair of new neighbor kids is something really expection- uh, exceptional.”

A finger went to the side of his face as he thought. “If I was new, I’d want friends. So…”

With a whoosh, his notepad and pen came out of his pocket, and he began writing furiously as he spoke. “I’m gonna invite them to walk with me tomorrow, and I’m gonna let them join the club!”

Mr. Lin, the one not scribbling into a notepad, leaned against the counter, giving his son a grin. “Leaving your wheels behind for the sake of the new kids, huh? That’s noble of you.”

Qiu shrugged it off, though the smile tugging at his lips showed the praise didn’t go unnoticed. “I can always see if they’ve got bikes later. Besides, it’s been a while since I walked to school with friends. It’ll be good.”

As the evening winded down, with chores being finished, teeth being brushed, and Mrs. Lin even declaring “lights out”, the two new neighbors were still on Qiu’s mind. Hands behind his head, he stared up at the ceiling, running through that funny set of circumstances that had led the two mystery kids to his fort.

Tamarack was too funny, and she needed to see all the coolest parts of Golden Grove. Jin seemed shy, kinda like Darren could get, so he would love the invitation to the club, for sure. And there was something about the sight of those wide eyes, which seemed even wider thanks to his round glasses, peering up at Qiu from the foot of the backyard fort. It made Qiu smile then, and even now, he couldn’t resist a grin. Thinking about it, all of it, that first meeting had been something special- something he didn’t want to forget.

Pausing for a moment to listen for footsteps outside the door, Qiu sat up and leaned over to his nightstand. He had to stretch a little bit off the edge of the bed to reach his notes and pen, but it was no trouble. His eyes had already adjusted to the dimness of the room, so after a second to collect his thoughts, Qiu began to write.

Usually, he was in such a rush to capture the important details that a whole idea could be reduced to a few words, but this was different. It had been unique, and he wanted to hold onto that memory, of the shy, bespectacled boy chasing a paper airplane mystery, and the golden-haired girl who’d been hidden in the forest for days. The things they’d said, and the way they had acted. It ended up taking a whole page and then some- but that was okay. Qiu could always get a new notepad.

Once it was done, and he was back to laying down, Qiu tried his best to clear his thoughts and get to bed. Tomorrow, he’d get to see those kids again, and they’d meet his friends, and join his club. This was gonna be great, so the sooner it came, the better.

[covesdadappreciation]

Howdy! Just started following your blog and I really like what you've got! If you're taking requests, could we get one of Tamarack being taken to prom by MC? Bonus points for jealous Qiu because I'ma slut for angst. I just wanna see Tam-Tam being treated like a queen.

Prom Night!

Tamarack x Male Reader (FTM Safe!) Author's note: This is literally just fluff, Barely angst (if you squint), just a reference to Qiu holding back <3 1518 words

Tamarack had opened the door after hearing a quick singular doorbell ring,

“That’s weird” she muttered, opening the door to find nobody. She looks down and finds a paper airplane, picking it up and reading whatever’s in it. It read: ”Meet me at the bridge - your favorite person in the world (PS, you might wanna get a little dressed up for this)”

——————

Once Tamarack gets on the bridge, there’s a strange path of flowers that head further into the forest. She furrows her brows, hesitant at first before following through. 

Though nothing could’ve prepared her for what she would see. 

MC was on a picnic blanket, readjusting the position of a bouquet he had set next to him, too anxious in making everything perfect to even notice Tamarack standing only a couple steps away. Even Tamarack was speechless, tears in her eyes over how cute this was. MC in formal clothes, a bouquet with brown paper wrap, fig cookies and raspberries in separate containers set next to one another, and a flower crown (made the way Tamarack had taught him when they were ten).

“Tammy!” MC exclaimed, surprised that he hadn’t noticed Tamarack before, “are you okay?” his smile drops at the notice of Tamarack’s teary eyes. “Yes, I’m fine!” she takes a deep shaky breath, “This is just really cute.”

“Oh my god,” MC quickly gets up and rushes over to Tamarack, hugging her tightly, “You’re such a goober.”

“You’re the one that set up this magical picnic” Tamarack huffs, “what’s this even for?”

MC’s eyes widen as if he almost forgot what he invited Tamarack here for, quickly letting go of the embrace he had on her, “I wanted to, I was wondering-” MC takes a deep breath, as if trying to compose himself and find his words, which Tamarack giggled to. Giggled.

“Will you go to prom with me?” He asked, “as a date?”

There was a small pause between the two, only the sound of the wood’s autumn leaves blowing and bird’s chirping could be heard before Tamarack finally breaks it with a loud, 

“Yes?! Of course I will!” She exclaimed, wide grin on her face, “I mean, I didn’t even know if you’d want to go with me, or if you even liked me like that, and then with everything happening to me in band and school, everything just seemed-”

She realized she started rambling before pursing her lips into a lined smile, holding back any more excited rants. She took MC’s hand, before pulling him into another long hug. 

...

”This is nice, but I kind of want one of those fig cookies right now” she mumbled softly into the hug, “Me too, Tammy. Me too” MC sighed.

——————

It was prom night, MC was in the Baumann household, happily waiting downstairs with Opa while Oma and Tamarack were upstairs. MC knew that Tamarack always loved a grand entrance. Even when they were just kids, Tammy always knew how to make a moment magical by just entering a room.

Opa smiled softly at MC, seeing just how excited he was to be there for Tamarack. He knows that MC would do anything for her. He knows MC would never hurt her. Opa’s pretty sure that if it were any other guy, he’d have his suspicions. Finally, Oma came down the steps, quickly picking up the camera she had set up, ready to take pictures of her granddaughter. 

And like always, her grand entrance was a success. The ribbon in her hair, the pink prom dress that fit her perfectly in every angle, her confidence in herself– it made her breathtaking. 

Tamarack’s smile plastered on her face as she rushed over to MC, “You look amazing!” she chimes happily, looking over him in awe. MC smiles at the praise, “Are you kidding? I’m practically in a t-shirt compared to you! I’m going to prom with the prettiest girl.” Tamarack’s cheeks and nose changed to a pink hue, using her hand to hide her laugh.

Though the moment was cut short at the sound of a car honk, “Okay okay you lovebirds, MC’s mother is outside. MC, I trust you to be responsible with Tamarack and to get her home in one peice,” She hums before walking up to Tamarack and cupping Tamarack’s face and kissing her forehead, “and you have fun tonight.”

Opa smiled and nodded, as if giving that same affection just telepathically. 

Tamarack nodded excitedly, holding MC’s hand as they walked outside “I will Oma! Love you guys!”

“We’re gonna be so responsible!” MC announced, “Quick, Tamarack, get the booze” he whispered jokingly, making Tamarack playfully smack his arm. 

——————

They arrived at the prom destination, a barn only a 30 minute drive from where they lived. It was mainly used as a wedding venue, and tonight, the school had gone all out. The fairy lights, the well set decor, the music in the distance, and the crowd of upper grade teenagers enjoying it to the fullest. 

Tamarack was practically bursting with excitement, looking over at MC over how pretty the place is, and how excited she is to be there with him, and to tell him how pretty he looks again, and how she’s probably going to explode if they don’t get in that barn right then and there. MC turned to her, running a finger over a loose strand of hair, pushing it back behind her ear

“Exciting right?” MC smiled,

“This is like the best night ever, MC, you don’t even know! I mean, look at it! Look at you! This is–” Tamarack threw her hands into her face and drew out a muffled groan, “Oh my god”

“You wanna kiss me so bad” MC teased, 

“If you’re lucky, we might” Tamarack snapped back before taking MC’s hand and pulling him and running with him towards the barn.

As soon as they showed their tickets, they heard their friends who were already there. Qiu, Ren, Vianca, and Serenity grouped together, each of them well-groomed and in their own formal outfits. 

“MC! Tamarack!” Vianca smiles, waving them over. 

Ren gives a small smile, Qiu looks at the two, also excited to see their best friends, though there’s a look of uncertainty that Qiu passes between the two. Serenity rushes up to Tamarack, giving her a tight hug, “You look amazing Tam!” 

Vianca looks over at MC, having known MC’s plan from a private conversation, “So did you ask her?” she whispered

MC confirms, “We’re here on a date”

Vianca pumps her fist in victory, “I told you she’d accept!”

Qiu furrowed their brows with a confused grin, “Wait, you two?..” They don’t finish their sentence, letting it sit in the air for a second. MC nods, “Yep! I asked her a couple weeks ago, I just didn’t wanna tell a lot of people the plan in case it didn’t go through” he chuckled almost awkwardly. 

“Oh, that’s..” Qiu hummed, their hand in their pocket fiddling slightly as if they were hiding something in it before composing themself with a sharp inhale, “That’s good! Great! I’m really excited for you guys.” 

Ren chimed in, throwing an arm over Qiu’s shoulders “They’re opening the snack bar finally, do you guys wanna go check that out?” 

“Actually, I think MC and I are gonna keep adventuring, we can meet up with you guys later?” Tamarack throws a subtle glance over at MC as if asking if that was okay with him too. MC nods, and the group disbanded again.

Tamarack and MC walk around the bar, saying hi to the occasional friend, playfully dancing at the songs they do like. About 2 hours in, and they were finally tiring themselves out. MC and Tamarack headed out to the back of the barn, laughing and breathing a little heavier at the amount of moving around they’ve been doing. 

With the music quieter out there, the faint lighting from the fairy lights and the moon, MC and Tamarack looked out at the plain view of the barn’s land. 

“This. This may have been the best night I’ve ever had in my life” She sighed happily,

“Then it’s good we spent it together” MC replied, holding Tamarack’s pinky crossed with his. 

A moment of silence fell between them, taking in the great day they’ve had.

“...I think I know one way on how we can end this night to truly sell it as the best night ever” she said quietly, making MC turn to look at her. 

Tamarack had a nervously giddy look on her face before shrugging, “We could… kiss?”

“Oh? So I’m lucky today then?” 

“Shut up” Tamarack chuckled, “So?”

MC smiled, taking her hand before giving her a small slow peck on the lips, but not moving his body away. It was like a test run on knowing if the first little kiss was okay. When Tamarack didn’t pull away either, instead only earning a tiny giggle from her, MC leaned in again, this time not pulling away from the kiss. 

Tamarack ran her hand through MC’s hair gently as they kissed, their eyes closed, before Tamarack hesitantly pulled away.

“Yeah. That sold it” Tamarack muttered softly, “Thank you for tonight, MC” 

“Anything for you, Tammy”

[an-orange-twilight]

Subtle Gear for Cat Therians!

Hello! My Pinterest and Etsy are full of cat related things, so I thought I'd share some things that could make cute and interesting gear for the therian community!!

Most of these you can wear, but remember gear can take any shape and form, meaning it could also come in the form of decorations :3

Enjoy!

[talesfrommedinastation]

The Knight is Crowned King

“I am saying it is time to put aside the trooper, the CT number, the clone who served under a sergeant in a Republic that no longer exists. It is time for you to become the captain that we– your people –need you to be.”

Tech stood up straight. “Then, if that is the case, Camina, I have a request.”

“Say it.”

“Get me a tattoo gun. Now.”

-Camina Drummer and Tech, Far Past the Ring

————————-

I really can’t thank @cloned-eyes enough for this wonderful piece that they did. She she taki taki!

It is Camina Drummer giving Tech the infamous 'collar' tattoo of The Belt in her presidential office, LDS mural still behind her.

For me, this culminates the spirit of Far Past the Ring, especially for canon characters Camina Drummer and Tech.

The story was initially conceived as a fun little romp for Clone Force 99, where Tech would meet a Belter engineer, they’d chat, maybe have a short romance, and move on with their lives.

This was February 2023.

But after Plan 99 aired a month later…well, we all went a little nuts. I did, too. Blame the Wellbutrin.

Also, blame me taking folklore classes at Berkeley as an undergrad. I decided the short story was going to become something bigger, and Tech was taking center stage.

On that note, I was so angry for Tech.

I was angry for all of his potential as a character, thrown down the mountain on Eriadu.

So, I decided to whip out the ol’ English 251 notes I had from years ago, and chart out Tech’s own Hero’s Journey, through the world of The Expanse meeting the world of Star Wars.

But I did not want Tech merely limping off into the sun into a simple, happy ending. No.

I wanted him to face challenges, fight, win alliances, and be received as the goddamned hero that he is.

To quote Campbell himself from The Hero with a Thousand Faces:

“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”

And who better to bestow this mighty power and crown unto Tech then Camina motherfuckin’ Drummer.

If you haven’t seen The Expanse, know that Camina Drummer goes through the Hero’s Journey of Hero’s Journeys herself. She rose from an orphan working the docks on Ceres, to a foot soldier for Anderson Dawes, a director under Fred Johnson, the first commanding officer of the largest vessel in human history (The OPAS Behemoth, later Medina Station), and then, the first president of the Transport Union, arguably the most powerful person in the universe.

It isn't an easy journey: she's shot, beaten, breaks her spine, loses the love of her life, watches loved ones get murdered in front of her, and is abandoned by those who professed to love her.

But Camina Drummer never gives up. She fights to the end to make things right. Girlfriend is rewarded....and now she passes that onto Tech.

After all, Camina’s people, the Belters, adorn themselves through tattoos. They live their lives in space, in the vacuum, where jewelry can be lost, damaged or hurt the owner. So they tattoo.

Years ago, cheap suits were supplied by Inners for Belters under their governance. They demanded Belters to work and extract resources from the Kuiper Belt and other outer planets in order to make them rich. The helmet connections ot the suit would often burn the wearer's neck, as seen below on Anderson Dawes.

In many ways, it is also a symbol of the yoke of slavery, of a chain around one’s neck.

Although younger Belters now wear better vacsuits, they still wear the tattoos to remind them of what their ancestors went through, seen on Naomi Nagata below.

A symbol of pain is now a symbol of what Belters are fighting for–freedom. Which they earn.

So, by getting that tattoo, done by Camina Drummer, the hero and president of the Belt, is our Tech getting crowned.

It’s right after Camina makes him their Chief Systems Engineer as well as a commander. He bled and fought for his chosen people, and he is rewarded as such.

It's him saying I'm here, I'm one of you, and your leader is the one putting it on me.

Oh, and in true fairy tale hero’s journey mode, Tech also gets a beautiful Belter ‘princess’...Sjael Drummer, Camina’s cousin.

Once again, something that originally wasn’t in the cards last year, but I wanted a full Hero’s Journey and I was damned if Tech wasn’t going to get it!

Tagging those that have commented and enjoyed the story: @eyecandyeoz @perfectlywingedcrusade @megmca @skellymom @cdblake1565 @thecoffeelorian @supremechancellorrex @that-salmonberry-punk @autistic-artistech @deezlees @littlefeatherr @nahoney22 @freesia-writes @eelfuneral @yeehawgeek @isthereanechoinhere96 @sued134

[madhbh]

Top 10 Favorite Characters 2024

guess I’m doing this every two years

@meankeene @menage-gay-trois and you dear reader if you do so care to make one

10. Manon Blackbeak

“Do you believe monsters are born or made?”

Throne of Glass (2012) // c

9. Kratos

“The cycle ends here. We must be better than this.”

God of War (2018)

8. Caeser

“Apes together, strong.”

Planet of the Apes (2011)

7. Carl Grimes

“There’s gotta be something after.”

The Walking Dead (2010)

6. Todoroki Touya

“I can tell you’re at a loss for words, so let me spell it out for you: THE PAST NEVER DIES.”

My Hero Academia (2014)

5. Monkey D. Luffy (OPLA)

“I’m a different kind of pirate.”

One Piece (2023)

4. Joel Miller

“You’re right. You’re not my daughter. And I sure as hell ain’t your dad. And we are goin’ our separate ways.”

The Last Of Us (2013)

3. Nico Robin (OPA)

“I WANT TO LIVE!”

One Piece (1999)

2. Zuko

“I’m free to determine my own destiny, even if I’ll never be free from my mark.”

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005)

1. Frodo Baggins

“How do you go on, when in your heart, you begin to understand, there is no going back?”

Lord of the Rings (2001)

=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=

Something something Kaneki was always number 1 for symbolic reasons because he was the character I resonated with most, and now Frodo has taken his place.

Also, redemption arcs/no one is inherently evil my FUCKING beloved (and opla Luffy because oh my god iñaki godoy is prettiest fucking human on this planet)

[sonicridersevo]

So, from all of the special attacks in the original Sonic Riders, which character has the best & worst attacks & how would you guys balance it in your fangame?

One massive problem the original game has is that there are characters with AOE (Area of effect) attacks, while others do not have them.

What this means is that certain attacks have a big area that hits other racers, often not even interrupting said attack or the racer performing the attack.

This allows characters with an AOE attack to hit multiple other racers with little to no repercussions and sometimes even encourages avoiding a level up to keep the attack.

An example is Tails' level 2 attack, where he swings his electrical cord.

Other unfair attacks include attacks that completely disable the movement of the racer being attacked for some amount of time (some of them are even AOE attacks too, like Super Sonic's!) There is even a gear specifically made for this: Opa Opa

Now, these attacks are oppressive and often unfair, however, the main issue we find there to be is that Sonic Riders' attack/interaction system favors the already winning racers. In other words: When you are winning, it is very easy to keep winning, while it's very hard for a losing opponent to even that back out.

Or simply put: There is very little counterplay To demonstrate, here are the options a winning player has to keep winning:

Simply abuse their leading position and attempt to create as much distance as possible through air management, good tricks and map knowledge

Place tornadoes in spots they predict or see the losing players going into. Note that there are corridors that make avoiding a tornado near impossible.

Take away the possibility of a losing player taking a route by threatening a tornado at the beginning or near the end of a route, forcing any player that takes the route to get hit.

Freely collect items and rings to level up, as they are likely to arrive before anyone else at these things

Abuse the losing player(s)' need to use air to catch back up and set up attacks or fatal tornadoes in case the losing player does not have the air to recover from it by boosting

Jump over any incoming attacks

Block generated turbulence by using tornadoes, touching off-road for even just a little bit or just bonking into a wall real quick, making the turbulence lead into a wall and stopping the riding player in their tracks.

And here are the options a losing player has to even out the disadvantage:

Use all the air at their disposal to hopefully catch up to the winning player(s)

Use any turbulence not blocked or diverted by the winning player when available

Collect any leftover items and rings to try and level up

Jump over or dodge any placed tornadoes and incoming attacks (Sometimes impossible due to level design or the tornado being placed immediately in front of you!)

Also note that in Sonic Riders, there is no inherent catchup mechanic like a slipstream, bonuses for losing players or otherwise (Other than the chance to get better items from itemboxes, like the invincibility powerup)

There is turbulence. However, turbulence only allows catching up until a certain distance away from the winning player and as explained in the ways winning and losing players can try to win, turbulence is very easy to make nearly completely useless or even necessary to avoid by the winning player. There is also a weird mechanic to turbulence where it becomes an extremely thin version of itself in certain sections of the levels, also making it unusable.

To get back to the original question: The most powerful characters in our eyes are characters that have an attack that hits in an AOE, hits multiple targets (potentially at the same time) or disables part of another racer's moveset, while the weakest characters are the ones with single target attacks or attacks that do not affect the other player's movement very much.

How we would balance specifically attacks is by adding more counterplay in the form of potentially being able to dodge, block or otherwise defend yourself against an attack in a way other than jumping or desperately trying to dodge. In addition to this, we would also like to reduce AOE attacks to a smaller area in front of the attacking/boosting racer, reducing the amount of hits landed by pure chance. In regards to tornadoes, we plan to allow more counterplay towards them as well, however at this time we do not want to disclose exactly how we plan to do this.

Thank you for the ask!

[calyxthenerd]

Writing promps? Okay, give me Lutteo's (or someone else's, you decide) reaction to Gastina having gotten back together at Oxford

They were cuddling on one of the couches at roller, when his tablet started ringing with the ringtone he set for Gastón

“Nooo, I don’t wanna moveee” his tiny girlfriend whined

“Well, someone has to pick up that call, it might be important”

“Fine” she got up, picked up the device and answered the call, flopping back against his chest

“Hi, I need to tell you somethi- oh hi Luna” the tan boy said

“Hey, ignore me, I’m gonna take a nap” she nuzzled against Matteo’s neck, closing her eyes

“Wait, you should hear this too”

She stood at attention “gossip? Tell me now!” Matteo chuckled “Chica delivery, let the man speak!”

“Thank you Matteo, now,” he turns away from the camera, motioning for someone to come closer, and suddenly Nina comes into the frame “look who I found?”

“So you guys met again and didn’t tell us???” The paler couple chorused

“Not only that” Nina piped in, showing their joined hands to the camera

“WHAT?!” Luna yelled, doing a little celebratory dance when she processed what that meant

“THE FUCK?” Matteo shouted, starting to cuss them out in Italian, which Nina responded in tandem, surprising everyone, but they were too shocked to say anything about it

That’s the scene Juliana walked in on “Opa, opa, opa, you both to-“ she notices the call’s still on and grabs the tablet “Hello Nina and Gastón, your friends will have to say goodbye if they want to qualify for the couples competition they got coming up”

“Hey Juliana, it’s fine, just turn the camera to them real quick?” Gastón asks, and she complies, knowing how deep the bonds between these four run

“Bye Luna, bye asshole” Gastón said, turning to his newly rekindled girlfriend

“Bye Luna, bye Matteo”

“Bye Nina, bye Gastón”

“Bye Nina, bye idiot” and they disconnect the call, the britain-based couple going to study and the argentina-based one going to practice their skating

[galli-halli]

Kurze Frage, nicht nur an dich, sondern in die Runde:

Ich bin aber nicht die Einzige, die sich fragt, was zum F*** die beiden in ihrer Sommerpause erlebt haben, oder?

Ringe? Süßer? Parkplätze? Klaas fordert Umarmungen ein? LNB? Livestream? My Girl? Pläne für die Rente? Bilder von glücklichen Opas? „Herrliche“ gemeinsame Nachmittage in München? Fernsehpreis?

Ist meine Wahrnehmung verschoben oder stapelt sich da seit Ende August alles aufeinander?

Würde ja, wie der Anon neulich schon vorschlug, frei nach KHU demnächst „nach Hause gehen und mich erschießen, weil ich alles gesehen habe“ - traue ich mich aber nicht, weil ich das Gefühl habe, dass bei den beiden aktuell noch sehr viel Platz nach oben ist.

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️😅

Aber jetzt mal fernab davon: Ich liebe es, wie sie gerade beide so vollkommen in sich selbst ruhen, wie sehr sie sich aktuell lieben und wie sehr sie das alles ausstrahlen und nach außen tragen. Das macht wirklich schon beim Zuschauen Spaß 💕

Da ich sowieso nicht auf eure Antworten auf Posts eingehen kann weil Tumblr es vehement verhindert, kann ich auch gleich noch ein paar Asks veröffentlichen xD

Ich lese mir das, was du da auflistest, durch, und es türmen sich nicht nur die Ereignisse, sondern auch die Fragen. Ich weiß, die haben ihre Phasen, in denen sie so sind, aber seit 2020 bewegen sie sich gefühlt in einer permanenten Aufwärtsspirale und es ist kein Ende in Sicht. Es wird immer noch einen Ticken inniger, noch ein bisschen verrückter und vor allem bleibt es unerklärlich.

Ich finde es so schön, dass sie so sind - aber ich verstehe nicht, wie das sein kann. Die bringen mich wirklich an den Rand des Wahnsinns mit all dieser Liebe und diesem mühelosen Ineinandergreifen.

Ich versuche weiterhin, das einfach auf mich wirken zu lassen. Aber es gibt Abende wie gestern, da weiß ich nicht weiter. Und vor allem weiß ich da nie, wie ich das einordnen kann, damit es für mich Sinn ergibt. Denn eigentlich ergibt vieles von ihrem Verhalten nur Sinn, wenn man sie nicht als Brüder sieht und da halte ich mich schön von fern, bevor ich ganz durchdrehe xD

[estradasphere]

while looking at Estradasphere's show archive i noticed a lot of bands they've allegedly played with / had open for them that i can't find literally any info about online (local bands probably?), posting this in the hopes that someone out there recognizes one of these names

SUBSET (Esphere opened for them March 31 2000, Palookaville @ Santa Cruz CA)

Chuck (July 23 2001, Rotunda @ Philadelphia PA, part of summer 2001 tour with Tub Ring and Esphere

Chico's Groove (Aug 7 2001, Saratoga Winners @ Latham NY, summer '01 tour)

Spagga (Aug 9 2001, The Green Room @ Providence RI, summer '01 tour)

Apparatus (Aug 10 2001, Sussex County Sonic Circus @ Sussex NJ, summer '01 tour)

Opa Que Tones (same as above)

Sub Committee (same as above)

Reductio (April 14 2002, Asheville Music Zone @ Asheville NC, allegedly - wasn't on the show archive, this one is from a youtube clip + comment)

Exegesis (opened for Esphere June 20 2003, Veterans Memorial Building @ Santa Cruz CA)

they may be misspelled (the show archive does that a few times... "daquari" instead of "daiquiri", "rosencoven" instead of "rosin coven", etc) which makes finding them harder lol

[nerudas-daughter]

@jalesidor tagging me to do six recent fave songs and I don't think I can top their list so I am going to leave their choices below in case anyone wants to be blessed.

But following are my six:

Negdje na dnu srca by Zdravko Colic. Bc I got reminded of it and it is really lovely song

2. Everybody Here Wants You by Jeff Buckley. I don't think a day goes where I don't listen to something by him, and more often than not it's this song.

3. Zulu Screams by GoldLink. GoldLink resurfaced in my mixes after months of not listening to him.

4. Rings of Saturn by Nick Cave. idk what to tell you, i've been horny

5. Sava i Dunav by Henny and Breskvica. I need to be lobotomized for this one and I am 100 sure there is something problematic about them but i'm about to ignore any allegations

6. Bota Tudo Nessa Porra by MC Pipokinha. :D

@jalesidor's faves:

1. negdje na dnu srca by zdravko colic. beautiful beautiful bosnian music

2. opa opa by pindu. aromanian-macedonian tunes ive discovered recently trying to finetune my spotify recs to capture random ethnic minority music. i have very cool hobbies i know

3. tochno vi tri by azis. ive been there for my bulgarian king azis since day one (his sen trope and hop era that got homophobic hackles up all over europe) 

4. kaggelia by gogo tsampa & giannis gkoritsas gives greek folk realness and such beautiful vocals

5. kaçın kurası by baba zula & deniz tekin. beautiful vocals & percussion 

6. manca-ti-as hazu by tzanca uraganu. definitely one of my guiltiest pleasures. i hate this man and everything he sings about and i can’t stop listening to his shit!!!! 

[elamarth-calmagol]

A late Krampusnacht story

For Christmas Eve, instead of a Lord of the Rings thing, here is some of my original writing. I actually posted this last year after I impulsively wrote it, but snce then, I've edited a lot, showed it to a few people, and even read it to a third grade class. The kids who didn't chicken out at the scary parts loved it.

I'm also posting it because I would totally self-publish and sell this if I had an illustrator not that I have any money we could work something out with a kickstarter or a royalties arrangement where the illustrator gets the majority? Look, I can dream.

---

I’m Not Afraid of Krampus

AKA, The Night My Brother Punched Krampus

I hate my little brother, Jack.  He doesn’t like any of the things I like, he never wants to share, and he’s really annoying.  And right now, I have to share his room for a whole month.  His stupid room full of stupid planes and stupid trains.  All because Opa, our grandfather, is here for the holidays, and he has to use my room.

“I want to use the tablet,” I say.  “You’ve had it for an hour.”

“I have not,” says Jack.  “Anyway, you can watch your stupid animal videos on TV.  I’m playing a game.”

I put my hands on my hips.  “They are not stupid.  And Opa is watching TV.  And it’s your turn for the bed and my turn for the sleeping bag, so you owe me.”

“I don’t care,” he answers.  “It’s my bed, anyway.”

I try to grab the tablet.  He pushes me away.

“Mom!” I yell.  “Jack’s hogging the tablet!”

“Hannah’s stealing!” Jack yells after me.

But Opa comes instead of Mom.  Opa is from Germany.  He moved here years ago, so he speaks good English, but he likes German better.  That’s why we call him “Opa” instead of “Grandpa”.

“Are you fighting again?” Opa asked.  “Don’t you know it’s Krampusnacht tonight?  If you don’t behave, Krampus is going to put you in his bag and take you away to eat you!”

“What’s Krampus?” asks Jack.

“It’s some stupid German thing,” I say.  I remember Opa talking about it before.

“Krampus is the Christmas demon,” says Grandpa.  “He visits children’s houses the night before Saint Nicholas’ Day.  Saint Nicholas is Santa Claus’ real name, you know.”

“There’s a Christmas demon?” Jack says.  His voice squeaks.

“But it won’t be Christmas for weeks,” I say.  “So how can it be Krampusnacht tonight?”

“Saint Nicholas’ Day is on December six,” says Opa.  “Americans don’t celebrate it, so Santa comes on Christmas for you instead.  In Germany, all of the children leave their shoes out the night before Saint Nicholas’ Day.  He leaves toys in the good children’s shoes.  But Krampus looks for the bad children, and he leaves coal in their shoes.”

“That’s what Santa does!” says Jack.

I roll my eyes.  I don’t believe in Santa.  I’m too old for stupid things like that.

“Yes, I know,” Opa answers.  “But when children are really bad, Krampus puts them in a bag so he can take them home to eat.”

“You just made that up,” I say.

“It’s true!  Every child in Germany knows about Krampus.  And I saw him once.”  Opa bends down and makes a scary face.  “He has big goat horns and sharp teeth.  He’s all black, his eyes glow bright red, and his tongue is pointed.  He was the worst thing I’ve ever seen!”

Jack is shaking.  His eyes are huge.  But I cross my arms.

“I’m not scared of any old Krampus,” I say.  “If he really stole children, then we’d hear about it in the news.  And there would be too many kids to put in one bag.  And his name is stupid.”

But Jack believes him.  “If we don’t stop fighting, we’re going to get taken by Krampus and we’re going to get coal in our stockings from Santa!”

“Santa isn’t real, either,” I say.  “How could he go to all those houses in one night?  And how would he fit down a chimney?  And have you ever met anyone who got coal in their stocking?  Anyway, if Krampus eats you, you won’t have to worry about any stupid coal.”

"But you saw him once!  You said!"

I roll my eyes again.  "Yeah, but I was dreaming.  It was the middle of the night.  And I didn’t pinch myself to check if I was awake.  And you didn't see him."

“I know he’s real,” says Jack.  “I hope he gives you coal, and Krampus does, too.”

Mom finally comes to see what’s wrong.  “Nobody gives kids coal anymore,” she says.  “Not Santa or Krampus.  It’s bad for the environment.  Santa only brings presents to good children, as you know, but Krampus doesn’t come to America.”

“That’s not true.  You just never saw Krampus because you never fought with your brother,” says Opa.

Mom frowns at Opa.  I don’t think she believes in Krampus, either.

I notice that Jack left the tablet on the floor.  I pick it up.

“Hey!” says Jack.  “It’s my turn!”

“You’ve had it forever!”

He tries to get it back, but I hold it up high where he can’t reach.  Then, he punches me in the nose.  He can’t hit very hard, but it hurts.

“Mom!” I yell.

“That’s it,” says Mom.  “No more tablet for either of you.  No TV, either.”

I’m so mad.  Jack punched me, but we both got in trouble.

“Now Krampus is going to take us away for sure!” wails Jack.  He’s starting to cry.  “It’s all your fault!”

“I hope Krampus is real, and he does take you away and eat you!  I hope I never see you again!”

Jack stomps his foot.  “You’re the worst sister ever!”

“And you’re the worst brother!”

Too bad I still have to sleep in Jack’s room.  I still have to sleep in the stupid sleeping bag.  And I even have to hear him crying about stupid Krampus.

I fall asleep.  But in the middle of the night, I wake up.  Someone opens the door to our room.  “Mom?” I ask.  “Opa?”

But it’s not Mom or Opa.  The shadow in the doorway is way too tall.  Then, it steps through my door, and I can see it in the light from the street.  It’s all black, and it looks like it has horns coming out of its head.  It opens its mouth and shows me its sharp teeth and pointed tongue. It has long claws on its hands, and there’s a black bag over its shoulder.  And its eyes glow bright red.  It’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen.

I think I’m dreaming, so I pinch myself.  But the pinch hurts, like it does in real life.

“Gruss vom Krampus,”* he says.  I know that’s German.  He licks its lips with his long tongue.  “Happy Krampusnacht.  You both look very tasty.”

“Jack!” I scream.  “Help!”

Jack sits up.  He looks at me, and his mouth opens wide.

Krampus leans over me and opens his long claws.  “I think I’ll put Hannah in first,” he says.  “Jack will fit on top.  But hurry up!  I have to go all the way back to Germany before the sun rises there.”

I scream.  “Jack, it’s Krampus!  Krampus is going to eat us!”

I don’t know what to do.  But to my surprise, Jack jumps up.  “I’m not scared of any old Krampus!” he says.  “If you steal so many children, why don’t we hear about it on the news?  And how can you fit me and Hannah and some stupid German kids in your bag?  Anyway, if you eat us, we won’t have to worry about coal in our stockings.  And your name is stupid.”

Then, he punches Krampus in the nose.

Jack can’t hit very hard.  But I guess it hurt, because Krampus sits down on the floor.  And then, he starts to cry.  He doesn’t look so scary like this.  I laugh.

 “You hit me!” he whines.  “And you’re laughing at me!  You’re the worst children ever!  I’m going to tell Saint Nicholas what you did!”  Then, he picks up his bag and runs away.

Too bad for him, Opa is in the hall.  He yells in German and runs after Krampus with his walking stick.  “It’s okay, Opa!” I shout at him.  “We’re here!”

He comes back to our room.  “Krampus didn’t take you?” he asks.

“No!” I say.  “Jack punched him!  He ran away!”

“Yeah,” says Jack.  “But Santa for sure won’t give me any presents now.”

“I think it’s okay to punch someone who wants to eat you,” I say.  “Anyway, Mom and Opa will still give us presents even if Santa doesn’t.  Right, Opa?”

Opa laughs.  “You punched Krampus?  Of course you get presents!”

“Only because Hannah told me how stupid Krampus is,” Jack says.  He looks at me.  “I’m glad you’re my sister.  I guess I should be nicer to you.  But I hope Krampus never comes back.”

“I won’t be scared of him with you around,” I say.  “I’m glad you’re my brother.”

Last page: picture of Santa’s hands crossing out “Naughty” next to Hannah and Jack’s names and writing “Nice” instead

“But I might have to think some more about that time I saw Santa Claus…”

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Today the lieutenant of the guards assigned me to a regular job: assistant floor clerk on the second floor. It's one of the "cushy" jobs here, I gather, and I have been moved downstairs again into D-4, known as "politicians' row." It's a dormitory, but much smaller than the others, and is inhabited by the clerks, who are generally the more privileged characters around here. Larry Templin, another CO [conscientious objector], is the "chief clerk," and my OPA bank-teller friend is the other assistant. Larry and Bob Brooks and I are apparently the only COs in here right now, though others have left their marks in terms of protests, strikes, and a huge mural in the dining-room that was painted by a CO artist.

...

So far I have not written much about the physical set-up of this place [the New York Federal Detention Headquarters]. Originally, I am told, it was a city garage. It has the bare bleakness of a garage, which was not relieved by the addition of cells.

The first floor is taken up by the boiler-room, the laundry (which is the "industry" here, doing work for various government institutions in the city), the visiting-room, and the dining-room and kitchen.The second floor has the offices, dispensary, clothing-room and isolation cell (known as the "hole" or "brig") in one section, and cells and dormitories in the other. The third floor has cells and dormitories, the little room that is the library, and a small auditorium.

Physically the place is unrelievedly depressing. A blower system ventilates it these scorching days by spilling terrific blasts of air on a few spots, leaving the rest virtually untouched. Cells and dormitories alike have no walls other than the steel bars; there is, of course, no privacy whatever at any time, and there is also not a single minute of real quiet. There must be three hundred or more men here, and the place is not supposed to have more than half that number.

We get up at six, have breakfast a half-hour later, lunch at eleven, supper at four. At nine-thirty lights go out, but the noise continues almost unabated until well after midnight. Every two hours during the day the gong rings for count. All doors are locked, and the prisoners stand in line wherever they happen to be while the guards count them. Each section then phones its total to the lieutenant in his office; if everyone is accounted for, the gong rings twice, but if the totals do not agree it rings only once, and a recount is in order.

Last night two recounts still left one man missing and there was a great scurrying hither and yon for two hours or more, with the guards periodically coming around to count us again, obviously unwilling to believe that one of us would deliberately try to get away. Eventually they found a youngish fellow who had squeezed himself in between a ventilator pipe and the ceiling, apparently in the far-fetched hope that he could escape through the ventilating system. There is a story going around that the guards beat him up, but so far I have not been able to confirm it.

Met Bill Mason today, the young Negro prisoner whom Bayard Rustin met a few months ago when he was here. He is a powerful, well-built chap, pleasant and likable. He seemed a little reserved, though he spoke warmly of Bayard. I am impressed by his courage and equanimity; he has been here thirty months, which must be a world's record of some sort. He is obviously popular: as we walked slowly along man after man, black and white, called greetings to him.

West Street is used to hold prisoners who are awaiting trial, men who have been sentenced and are awaiting shipment to a regular prison, and men who have sentences of three months or less, which they serve right here. All are federal prisoners, of course, and include dope addicts (junkies) and peddlers, OPA violators, Mann Act offenders (transporting a female interstate for immoral purposes) ; all kinds of interstate criminals, from confidence men to hijackers; bootleggers; Army and Navy impersonators, and a large number of draft dodgers, along with a cellful of German-American "Bundists." Aside from the COs, these last are the intellectual "class" of the place, and, unlike the COs, are inclined to hold themselves disdainfully aloof from the common herd. One of them, a physician, is the Captain's clerk, which is about the top inmate job here and includes a good bit of ordering the other inmates around, while another is his assistant, under whose directions we floor clerks operate. Comical, in a way."

- Alfred Hassler, Diary of a Self-Made Convict. Foreword by Harry Elmer Barnes. Chicago: Henry Regnery Company, 1954 (written 1944-1945), p. 15-17.

[talesfrommedinastation]

Let’s talk about villains for a hot minute here.

Quick question: what’s better, a villain that is punchable? Or a villain that makes your skin crawl?

I got both in OC form in To Guard Against Titans. Let’s meet two of the punchable ones:

“And you are Leo Frederick, commanding officer of the Cajeton .”

“Exactly, Tech ,” Leo snarled sarcastically, “I love that a flesh-droid like you is named after machinery.”

—————

Here’s Leo Frederick, commanding officer of the Cajeton. Modeled after an insufferable, condescending little dork that I had the misfortune of dealing with in 2023.

He despises clones. He hates strong women. He’s a stuck up, homophobic, narcissistic creep who thinks the world of himself and his work. He already violently dislikes Tech, who casually put the little punk in his place by pointing out all his flaws that are sitting right there on paper.

Now, let’s meet his boss!

“Did not think ‘Tech’ to be a real, human name,” Toivo started with a cold sneer, leaning further back in Tech’s chair, “But you clonelowda do choose your names yourselves.”

—————

Captain Toivo Saavedra got introduced as a memory way back in the beginning of Far Past the Ring, where his ex-fiancée, Sjael Drummer, is thinking about him while dealing with a failed science experiment.

A former officer and pilot in the OPA and Free Navy, he was a major supporter of Marco Inaros and now oversees a fleet of pirates.

Even though he’s never met him, Tech already finds himself disliking Toivo from the stories he hears in Far Past the Ring, before dealing with him in To Guard Against Titans. The guy’s a womanizing, backstabbing, arrogant prick who has no problem charming people and promptly tossing them aside when they are no longer useful.

He’s based off of two of my ex boyfriends! Stuck up, good looking jerks who treat people like Kleenex to be used and gotten rid of.

Fun to write, bad to be with, yall know it.

[patriciaidsinga]

Slap

Noordhollands Dagblad 6 april 2024

Een boomlange kerel, donker haar, strak donkerblauw pak. En als hij lacht, heeft ie iets jongensachtig. Lange mannen vallen mij sowieso op, aangezien ik 1,85m ben. Martin, de nieuwe teamleider van beneden, fluistert mijn collega mij in.

Het is zijn eerste week en hij hoeft niet in pak te lopen, maar wanneer je iedereen voor het eerst ontmoet, en je een stevige indruk wilt achterlaten, dan is dit ook een manier. Ik trap er in.

Omdat ik weer verder moet naar de volgende vergadering, laat onze kennismaking nog even op zich wachten.

De nieuwe stagiaires en trainees zijn gestart en ik moet zoals altijd even een korte presentatie geven. Ik kijk rond naar de jonge smoeltjes. Zo slim, zo knap, en zo nieuwsgierig. Toen ik 25 was, werkte ik in de zorg en dacht ik verder niet na over de wereld en hoe ik deze kon verbeteren. Ik had de mening van mijn collega’s en probeerde vooral niet op te vallen. Deze jonge gasten zijn ‘woke’, eten geen vlees, sporten veel, kopen tweedehands kleding en hebben een mening. De zelfverzekerheid straalt er vanaf, waardoor ik er bijna zelf onzeker van wordt. In mijn ooghoek zie ik het blauwe pak voorbij komen in de gang.

Dat komt later.

Ik geef iedereen een hand en stel me voor. De laatste jongeman heet Quint, hij heeft een wat bleek gelaat met pientere oogjes en straalt als enige iets kwetsbaars uit tot hij mij een hand geeft. Ik kan wel door de grond zakken. Hij knijpt keihard mijn vingers samen, waardoor mijn vingers volledig verbuigen en mijn ring gemeen in mijn huid snijdt.

“Auw!” Roep ik. “Dat is wel heel enthousiast.”

“Oh sorry“stamelt hij. “Dat heb ik van mijn opa geleerd die vond dat ik van die slappe handjes gaf.”

Ik leg uit dat een eerste indruk heel belangrijk is, maar dat je wel de juiste balans moet vinden. “Kom we proberen het nog eens” zeg ik lachend.

Sta ik hier nou in een groep hoogbegaafden een lesje ‘hand schudden’ te geven.  De rest kijkt geïnteresseerd toe.

Terwijl ik Quint uitleg dat je precies het juiste kneepje moet geven, niet te hard en zeker niet te slap stapt Martin binnen.

“Wij kennen elkaar nog niet geloof ik.” Hij steekt zijn hand uit en ik zie 10 paar ogen gefocust op onze handen. Klaar om het goede voorbeeld te geven geef ik hem een ferme handdruk. In mijn ogen valt de teleurstelling te lezen als mijn hand in een slappe warme pudding knijpt.