#question the muse time

[rangers-arecool]

What is the best way to deal with getting picked on by the elder rangers? (Halbarad to Hal)

Hal tilts her head slightly, thinking for a brief moment. "If it's a certain elder Ranger, all you need to say are the words fire salamanders and Taladir then he should back off. If it's the others, then just ask them to stop."

"But then again," And now, all of the older Rangers both visible and not visible winces as her cool words sounds clearly across Esteldin without even raising her voice. "if I hear that ANYONE is being picked on, the Ranger doing it will be cleaning the sheep pens for two weeks."

[daily-grian]

I’ve gotta sit down at some point and do a proper classpecting session for the Hermits & co, but for some quick musings Prince of Time!Grian feels appropriate

[whitherwanderer]

Galena, a Rusty Reforger & Pyrite, a Deliberate Deadeye feat. @shroudandsands

In one of worlds fourteenfold, a hyune reforger scales the crags of Alexandria's cliffs and ruins in search of precious electrope, artifacts, and other reusable materials. A scope is trained on him, a voice in his ear, coolly reminding him to watch his footing (as if it needed to be said).

The spotter is an ex-hunter who keeps the levin-cursed monsters and defective sentries off his back with a careful eye and a dead aim. She's also his wife, which makes it that much harder for her to watch him test his scavenging prowess over the deep canyons and crumbling spires that scar the land. Trust him as she does, she has her reasons to be wary.

Galena's methods are unusual. Instead of combing the ground, he climbs. The old kingdom's ruins hide valuable artifacts and electrope caches that would be out of reach for most, but more worrying is his choice not to wear a regulator despite the many obvious dangers. Among the reforgers, it's not wholly unusual for someone to refuse a regulator, but those who know the two hyune know well: it's not a choice made lightly.

———

Deep in the heart of Everkeep, Pyrite stalks the alleys of Solution Nine with a portion of the materials her husband gleaned from the old kingdom. It's how he can offer his support for the organization Pyrite now dedicates her time and talents to.

And an ex-hunter always finds ways to keep herself sharp; sentries vanish, dismantled and sold for parts in True Vue's less reputable markets. Weapons from the manufactories on the lower floors go missing and wind up in rebel hands. Credits grease the palms of the right people for the right intelligence and the doors of high clearance warehouses are left unlocked—by accident, of course.

As an agent for the rebel group Oblivion, the regulator Pyrite wears is a compromise allowing her to take advantage of Everkeep's systems while avoiding suspicion. But for all its conveniences, the regulator is also a grave reminder. Should Galena's hands ever slip, all she'll have of him is the recordings and images hidden away on encrypted data shards—assurance that they'd keep their promise never to forget again*.

———

No mourning, and yet no relief from the aching holes in their memories. All they have is the hints of a loss whose shape they can identify by feeling around its dark edges: an empty room, a closet full of clothes too small for either of them. A name that Pyrite herself chose, always lingering in the back of her mind but slipping through it like a sieve. An image of shade—a face that Galena chases through dreams and wakes up with no recollection of.

Loss enough to take immortality and toss it into a canyon. Pain enough to use that immortality as a weapon against the system that stole from them something so precious it becomes their reason and their resolve. Something that would be worth dismantling a miracle. *OOC Note: This was drafted before the Arcadion raids came out, which answers a critical question I had about the regulator mechanics. A person wearing a regulator will, in fact, remember someone who does not wear one after their death. So that final bit in Pyrite's section is wrong! Oh well.

[llewellyn-baxter]

"Huh.."

Llewellyn's hand braced on a tree trunk and he stood with his head bowed for several moments, trying to shake off the strange sense of fogginess and light-headedness. And his stomach churned... It was the type of sensation that occurred with a sudden unexpected drop. A mist eased throughout the surrounding area and there was a certain smell that couldn't be placed- earthy, for sure, but also weirdly enough, something more pungent. Why did his limbs all feel so heavy and achy? Why was he so tired? The man couldn't really recall what he'd been doing moments before, or where he was even at...

And he certainly had no clue that a faerie portal had just shaved ten years off his life. Ten years taken away with family and friends.

At some point, the tall gentleman began to walk. He wasn't sure how long or what direction, but somehow, Llew managed to wander within the town limits. "Welcome to Greywood.." he murmured to himself with a faintly bemused expression across features newly aged a decade. There was something familiar about this place, too, but that brain fog persisted. He couldn't shake that something was off and yet, there didn't seem to be anything out of place, either. It all looked normal enough. "Excuse me," Llewellyn politely reached for a passerby to stop them, "do you have any water?" He offered an apologetic and uncertain smile. "I'm sorry, I just- I could really use some water.." Boy, could he! Felt like he hadn't had anything to drink in days.

[relicsongmel]

Over 2 years later and I still can't believe Gamefreak forced bisexuals all over the world to do the impossible and make a choice between THESE TWO

[cordycepsbian]

leif, muse, and franz struggling to read a map almost as much as we're struggling to post this from the middle of nowhere

[bogkeep]

it was always a strange dichotomy. every middle school classmate i had told me i'd be a millionaire when i grew up, a Famouse Artisté. it's easy enough to imagine as a teen, i suppose: skill equals fame equals money. i was doubtful about this prophecy, not because i wasn't confident in my ability to draw, but because it was hard to imagine a world where i'd be paid for it.

it was an ice breaker game at summer camp. horrible one, really - everyone in a group were given a character profile. now we had to imagine that it was the zombie apocalypse, and the helicopter to safety was two seats short and we had argue why we deserved a spot. the character i got was an asshole doctor of some kind. i don't remember if i argued my way into the helicopter or not, but i do remember the feeling that's been hanging over me my entire life - if the apocalypse happens right now, i have nothing to contribute.

there's something really painful about it. i have cultivated a skill for my whole life, i can make art and tell stories that are entirely unique to me, there is no way to get someone else to create in the exact same way i can, and yet - i've contributed more to capitalist society by sitting in an empty hotel reception for eight hours a day.

which made me develop anxiety, to boot.

i illustrated two children's books. they're some of my best work. the contract i signed was industry standard and the indie author who had hired me was incredibly kind... but even after stock sold out i had earnt little more than some pocket change.

in high school we had an outing to dig our own snow caves that we would spend the night in. in teams, thankfully. i have so little physical strength to speak of, most i could do to help was clear away the snow rubble and toss it outside. i know, i know, my classmates reassured me it was an important job to do, i was an invaluable member of the group, sure - but it's that feeling, you know?

what would my task be in the communist solarpunk commune?

a person cannot be useless. it's a human being. they just exist, no ifs and buts about it. one can only be useless in the eyes of an ableist, capitalist society that sees no value in being alive beyond production and profit.

sometimes i receive messages from internet strangers to tell me something i said - often several years ago - was helpful to them. maybe it was a throwaway comment on a forum. maybe it was replying to a question they could've googled the answer to. maybe it was an encouraging reply to someone's artwork. turns out it mattered to someone. huh.

of course you can learn new skills. i have learnt plenty over the years! i have also learnt that there are limitations to what i can do. that some of the obstacles i face are not in fact obstacles everyone faces. it's not that i can't break tasks into smaller steps, it's more that half of those steps are going to be "rinse your hands because you Touched a Thing and now you're going to have to touch Another Thing." i wonder if that's adding to my cognitive load or something.

i was never raised to be a man, so by all accounts i do not understand why i'm so haunted by the spectre of toxic masculinity - what would i do if i was a medieval peasant and a war broke out? what if i was in a pre-historic hunter gatherer society and i was expected to hunt? what if i was a humble farm boy discovering the sword of the chosen one and the world depended on my non-existing courage to face certain death?

look, it's stupid. these are not scenarios i will find myself in. besides, pre-historic humans depended on community and taking care of each other. that's how we survive.

i'm not useless and i decided to make peace with being useless anyway.

we're surrounded by digital clocks. we can't really escape them. do we need watchmakers? would they save me a spot in the zombie apocalypse helicopter? no, don't answer that. i'm just happy i found something that requires a light touch and an observant eye.

[malevolent-muse]

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[meimi-haneoka]

Do you guys ever think about how many times CLAMP tiptoe around the word "death", in Clear Card? (you: what kind of question is that???)

Because it's an awful lot.

The actual verb 死ぬ (to die), the classical one, is never mentioned* to indicate "death", and I totally see the reasons why: mainly target and "world view" of the series (lord, if there's something I learned during these 8 years of observing the reactions from the JP fans is that the 世界観, the "world view" is EVERYTHING and if the authors dare doing something that goes against it, they won't forgive them. Especially for a series rooted deep in everybody's childhood).

* (Actually, it is used in chapter 43 in a funny skit with Kero, Suppy and Nakuru, where Kero says "I thought I would die!!!" because he's too embarrassed by the SyaoSaku scene he had to forcefully witness hidden in Sakura's bag 😂but it's a foolish scene)

I think the first time where they actually start to dangle it in our faces is in chapter 28, when they make Momo scream in panic: "If you rewind that far, the repercussions will be immesurable!!" and then Kaito confirming right after "Time magic shortens the caster's lifespan". 命を削る indeed means "to shorten one's lifespan", and what else does that mean, if not that he's killing himself little by little, by using time magic? Sure, magicians have a longer lifespan, but...

Another instance where they make us "sniff" the smell of death but they don't serve the actual meal is in chapter 33, when Kaito goes out in the garden to counter the attack coming from the Association. He condescendingly says 力不足と己の身が滅ぶのを恐れて, mocking them for not including time magic in their collective attack because they're afraid their power won't be enough and they'll literally wreck their bodies in the process. Kaito doesn't straight up say "they're afraid to die", but the verb 滅ぶ means "to perish, to be ruined, to be destroyed" and we all saw what effects time magic had on Kaito's body. He's basically calling them p*ssies, yes.

And excuse me, but the most apparent one....when Kaito (or the Clan) says multiple times "Her soul will break", should Akiho write on herself more power than her body can sustain....isn't that just a very generous way to avoid saying "Akiho WILL DIE" to not scare the young readers away? Because, think about it...if her soul breaks...what is left of her? What is left of Akiho, as we know her? Yes, just a shell, a corpse for use and consumption of the Association/Clan, exactly.

And what to say about the scene of chapter 41 when Nadeshiko is trying to mom-talk Kaito into reason and the guy answers "I guess it's because I'm getting closer to become the same kind of entity as you", meaning, a ghost??? Hence, he's basically saying "I'm about to die"? I always snicker when I read that part because I'm like "OH COME ON, CLAMP, MAKE HIM SAY THE WORD" 😂

Another instance where the characters dance around the concept of death is in chapter 51, when Momo gets to have this very mom-son talk with Kaito (yes, exactly, Kaito set into motion several mother figures throughout the story - Lilie, Momo, Nadeshiko herself - that should tell you SOMETHING). Momo is trying to make him understand that he's literally betted his life away when he made the contract with her, so that should give him an idea of how important this mission is to him, and for whom he's doing this for. She says "When you made the contract with me, you revealed your true name. We could say I hold your heart as magician in the palm of my hand". Here Momo is basically already mentioning the concept I've been saying time and time again when Kaito revealed his true name to Akiho in chapter 80: in CLAMP works, revealing your true name to someone is like placing the most vulnerable part of yourself in their hands. The "imagery" Momo suggests here is actually pretty disturbing: the word 心臓 (heart) is the one commonly used to indicate the actual organ, more than "heart as core of the emotions", and so what she's suggesting is that at any moment, without notice, she might close that hand and crush his heart, basically killing him. Of course Momo would never do that, but she wants to remind him of what damned situation he's put himself in, how far he went for the person he still isn't ready to recognize at this point of the story.

I think the closer they went to say the "forbidden word" was when Lilie in chapter 72 explained to Sakura the extent of her premonitory dreams: "I know things that will happen shortly ahead...things way far ahead in the future...and even things that will happen when I'll be gone".

Another instance where they TOTALLY dance around the real situation (that is, Kaito should've been dead-dead-dead by then) is in chapter 80 when Eriol explains to Akiho what Kaito had been doing: I'm not sure if it's Eriol who sugarcoated it in his speech, or Akiho herself while recounting it to Sakura, but she says "He messed with lots (of dangerous magic), so his condition wasn't supposed to be that good", another polite way to say "he should've been dead by now". In fact, what's keeping him alive is literally the fact that the pocket watch (and therefore, his time) is frozen for now.

And sometimes I wonder if the "unhappiness" or "grief" that Yelan foresaw for Sakura, in the eventuality she couldn't gain control of her own powers, included....death too....NAAAAAAAHHHH

(well, I mean, who didn't think of THAT when they made Kaito say that he could see Nadeshiko because he was close to dying?? Well knowing that Sakura could suddenly see her too?? they did that on purpose jfc)

[cursedfortune]

Her obsidian gaze squinted, enjoying the liveliness of the people as the yearly festival settled in for the week. As per tradition the witch had brought out her stand on wheels, one used solely for six days of fortune telling only to be converted on the last day into a lucky stand. A kissing booth, as it were. The final days of a festival were always the most potent with potential, ripe for her to bless mortals with her favor or curse them for the year. Though the tales of the morbid witch have gone quiet as the eras passed, Mortem still found herself amused by the mortals that dared approach the colorful and yet ominous booth. Fortunes? It said and beneath it sat the witch, an easy going smile as her fingers traced the wood. Try your luck! The sign below her encouraged. Luck? At what? Mortals come and go. Some receive good fortune, a blessing in some manner. Others are politely rejected, disappointed by their potential - a curse in hopes they'd be better next year. The rare few she stares at with a sharpened gaze that almost is something akin to disgust. They flee her when her hand twitches, as if to grab for something that isn’t there. How does one win a game of fortune when it has no rules? Mortem’s attention shifted then, settling upon them. A look of knowing that comes and goes as her gaze is dragged elsewhere - scouting for potentials to beckon with a single glance. A vague but knowing smile curved its way upon her ashen lips, as if the outcome was one she has seen already.

Information to take part is below the cut.

I haven't done this in a while but here we are. If any of this isn't clear to you, just inquire. This is set up so that if you have any muse(s) interested in having their fortune read, they need only approach her stand. Consider it an open starter. To take part you can either: Send an ask with your muse approaching and stating the kind of fortune they wish to have read or if you'd prefer it in the style of a thread, tag me in a separate post. And people who prefer to do it on Discord can just shoot me a DM or tag me in our server. :)

Mortem will give a reading based on what you're inquiring about (subject-wise). The past, present, future. Something specific, something generalized? You can ask for a tarot, palm or crystal ball reading. If you want to provide your own cards for the tarot reading, you can. I'll have Mortem pull by default.

So be sure to arrived with a question! And if you want something more specific, just ask me. ^^

A heads up: There is a chance for Mortem to physically touch your muse(s), lightly kiss their face or hand depending if she believes they deserve a strong blessing of good fortune. There is also the high chance she'll bless or curse someone once it is over. Obviously you don't have to do anything with it, but this is her area of expertise so if you come for a fortune reading please note it will happen and there's no slipping out of it/dodging her blessings or curses. To receive absolutely nothing means she might show up later with a knife. :)

Good luck!

[localwebslingers]

@inhcritance liked for an AU verse starter: No Powers

------

Usually, when Peter found trouble and needed to one, tell someone about what he'd stumbled into and two, maybe needed some help getting out of said trouble, it was someone in a costume. More specifically, it was one of the people in costume who ran around the city making sure New York could go to sleep at night, and wake up to things mostly being okay in the morning. They didn't catch everything, but the vigilantes and heroes that helped keep the city safe pulled more than their own weight. Most of them, Peter even liked, and had gotten to know pretty well. On account of constantly finding trouble and having to be gotten out of it.

That night it had been someone in costume, but most of the city probably would place the Goblin under the category of supervillian. Though honestly, Peter had once said he was more like "diet supervillian" and the visor was in the way, but he was pretty sure there was some amusement had at his comparison. Supervillian hurt innocent people and didn't care about it, Harry didn't do that. Ever. It was a large part of why he didn't hesitate to go with the Goblin when he was spotted, and also why Peter had never thought about outing him to have him turned in.

"I didn't go looking, I don't even know who these guys are." he defended, for once not handing the photos he's gotten to a vigilante but to Harry. Seemed fair, he did basically get saved by his friend before the guy's he had stumbled onto had found him. After they chased him to the roof and Peter was seriously debating taking his chances jumping rooftops rather than waiting around to find out what happened when they caught up to him.

Peter watched Harry a moment and winced, "Okay I kind of went looking, but only because I recognized these guys from some reports around campus. I figured if I got a few shots, maybe someone could break up whatever they were doing. I mean come on, that doesn't exactly look like a birthday party."

[baby-girl-aaron-dessner]

Taylor Swift describing her relationship with Harry Styles in terms of colors:

Slut!: “Flamingo pink, Sunrise Boulevard”, “Aquamarine, moonlit swimmin' pool” & “In the tangerine, neon light, this is luxury.”

Out of the Woods: “The rest of the world was black and white / But we were in screaming color.”

Wonderland (original lyrics): "Colors I'd never seen twisting around me."

Question…?: “I don't remember who I was before you / Painted all my nights / A color I've searched for since.”

[romaritimeharbor]

hello everyone i am posting for once (it has been like 2 days it hasn't been that long) 🤭🫶🫶

[lady-quen]

The sylvari Commander: in the process of educating visitors to the Grove, who have just received 38 inappropriate questions each, "You know, you cannot really fault the saplings for being curious, even if they lack tact. And filters. The other races get an upbringing, we don't. There are Mentors, yes, but only so many. We just wake up into the world, with boundless curiosity and so many unanswered questions."

A mob of saplings, rapidly approaching the Commander's location: "Oh! It's really you! We've seen so much of you in the Dream! Is it true you died? What was it like? What did you see and learn? Was it awful?"

The Commander: *scowls in PTSD*

[bookshelf-in-progress]

Me, trying to write a sanguine: What would Chester Arthur do?

[malevolent-muse]

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