#revised editions linked above

[hlmoorewrites]

HEART OF DUST: Book 1 of Death's Embrace

Doran had a problem, and it wasn’t that he’d been stabbed.

Iole City is in turmoil.

Doran Ó Seanáin, leader of the Black Lung Gang, is determined to challenge the Archon, Arajon’s tyrannical ruler, for his brutal treatment of the miners. But Doran has more to deal with than getting stabbed and a city-wide lockdown that’s seeing his gang of ex-miners slowly starved out of their base. His daughter Grace has turned against him, and the death of his wife haunts them both.

Although he finds reprieve in Nathaniel Morgenstern, the apotheker with a mysterious past to whom he owes his life, the clock is ticking.The fate of the mines hangs in the balance and the Archon is closing in.

Doran’s plan to break the cycle may very well be his last.

Available on Kindle and Kobo. Want to know more? Check out the reviews on Goodreads!

SOUL OF ASH: Book 2 of Death's Embrace

You can run, but you will never be free.

Half a year after the events of Heart of Dust, Doran Ó Seanáin now finds himself trapped between two worlds while belonging to neither: held in contempt by the Bronze for the turmoil he caused during Archon Bryson’s reign, and resented by the miners for selling out. Leonora Darkwater’s pursuit to own the mines may be the answer to all of his problems, but the offer is far more complicated than it appears, and the only person Doran trusts is the same man who threw his life into chaos.

Haunted by his past, hostage to a debt that cannot be repaid, and a slave to the poison that keeps him alive, atonement has never felt further out of reach for Nathaniel Morgenstern. Though the damage between him and Doran is too devastating to begin to mend, they have no choice but to face each other as their lives collide once more.

There is a rot in Iole City. The mines aren’t finished with Doran, and the sand in Nathaniel’s hourglass is running out.

Available on Kindle and Kobo. Want to know more? Check out the reviews on Goodreads!

[slugluvr69]

Hey all! I'm opening commissions on behalf of Safaa @sfaamq10 who is trying to escape Gaza with her family.

Her campaign was reblogged by 90-ghost here (terminated blog, same person/gfm)

Donations dated before December 1, 2024 are not eligible.

Fill out the google form here to secure your slot, and I'll contact you for proof of donation and references before moving forward with your commission.

The amount you donate corresponds to the type of commission available to you, as pictured above.

Slot info and TOS/details below.

Prices are in USD.

FULLBODY ($80) - 1/1 SLOTS

Two Major revisions allowed, minor tweaks accepted up until piece is finished.

HALFBODY ($60) - 2/2 SLOTS

Two Major revisions allowed, minor tweaks accepted up until piece is finished.

CHIBI ($25) - 2/2 SLOTS

One Major revision allowed, minor tweaks accepted up until piece is finished.

BUST ($20) - 4/4 SLOTS

One Major revision allowed, minor tweaks accepted up until piece is finished.

LITTLE DOODLE ($5) - NO LIMIT, CLOSES WHEN I DEEM IT NECESSARY

Extremely minor revisions only, I don't do a sketch for these at all so you get what you get. Quick and dirty yeehaw.

TOS

All commissions are for personal use only. Absolutely no commercial use permitted.

Turnaround of up to 6 weeks for chibis/busts, and 2 months for full/halfbodies. Little doodles should be quicker. I draw slowly and have an insane work schedule, so please bear with me.

Please provide a clear visual or text reference for your character. Supplemental references (moodboards, faceclaims, other inspirations) are of course welcome and appreciated.

Complex designs will be simplified

If you have a pose/expression in mind please say so and give examples when you send your references.

I reserve the right to refuse any request, and may ask you to choose something else or look elsewhere.

In regards to furries/antho/monsters, I'd be happy to try to draw your character but I don't have much experience with that kind of design so I can't guarantee satisfactory results. If you're okay with taking that risk then request away!

Do not use the commission for NFTs (are these even still around lmfao) or run it through AI image processors. Do not edit the commission with AI.

All commissions are full color and lineless. Static poses only (chibis can get a bit weirder with it but no dynamic angles)

Single characters only this time. You can donate more to reserve more slots, but any additional slots will be for a single character as well.

I will draw real people, as long as you can prove that you have permission to make the request. Doesn't apply to famous actors of course.

I will be batch posting the finished pieces to my blog (lower res, watermarked), with a link back to each client's social media of choice. If you don't want yours posted, let me know.

Due to the nature of the process, there will be no refunds.

If you have any questions send me an ask and we can discuss :)

[literallyjusttoa]

Hey guys! I'm putting out a call for my commissions again for two big reasons: One, Emergencies have caused me to be low on funds when I wasn't expecting it, and that kind of sucks actually. Two, I have a project that I've been dreaming about for years but have actually been able to start working towards in the last couple of months, but to finish it I need to not be living paycheck to paycheck for like a month at the very least, which brings me back to point one :(. I will talk more about the big project under the cut, bc I think it's something you all might really enjoy!

But for now, I will link my commission sheet: Here (It's also my pinned post)

And my new Ko-fi!: Here for if you just want to donate, which would be literally incredible and I would owe you my soul actually.

Ok now for big Project Time!!!

I am in the process of editing and revising my first Youtube video! This has been an on and off dream of mine for like 7 years at this point, but I've finally taken the plunge and gotten to work on a channel. I wanna talk about all sorts of fandoms (including the riordanverse ofc) With videos ranging from plot and character analysis, to trends in fandom culture in general, to fun little ranking videos and speedpaints. All around, I just want the channel to be a fandom hive, where everyone can find something they enjoy.

I already have PNG's created of my sona to use as assets (And I have a sparkly new sona, the one in the pic above!) and I have two finished scripts, with the first one being fully recorded as well! One for my first video, which will be a retrospective on Gravity Falls, and one for a video about the Percy Jackson TV show, the inherent differences between TV and books as mediums, how I think the TV show could improve, and the things I think it got perfectly. I also have a bunch more ideas, such as:

BIG Trials of Apollo video essay, with a focus on how the books and the fandom have effected me over the years.

Ranking all of my favorite characters from all of the media I've been a fan of over the years (This would be over 70 characters)

Explaining the Iliad, but make it funny (with a side of Troy apologia)

Reading Lore Olympus and pointing out how it deviates from myth (the things I'm willing to do for you people /j)

Canon vs. Fanon, where I compare a characters canon characterization with their fanon counterpart and try to figure out how things turned out the way they did.

And more, but I don't want this post to be 5000 words long.

Now here's the big question. As I said in the part above, I'm struggling a bit now money-wise. And I really wanna make this project work, but there's also, you know. Tuition. Rent. Food. Stupid other adult stuff. So if anyone is amenable (and this is totally up to demand, I don't wanna pressure anyone into doing anything!) I was also thinking of maybe making a Patreon. Now, I'd have to do research for this, bc I wanna make sure anyone who signed up would get the right rewards and really get the bang for their buck. I'm pretty sure there's not gonna be much interest in this rn, cuz like, I'm not that big of a blog oof. But if anyone is interested! Here are some of the perks I would definitely be implementing! (sry it's another list)

Early access to videos, and behind the scenes looks at art assets and video creation

the ability to request topics for videos

Patrons names being shown in the videos. And higher tiered patrons getting custom chibis that will be shown in videos as well (and given to the patrons obv)

This ones a bit complicated, but I want to create a cover of a song that has to do with each video to play during their outros. So like, for the gravity falls video, I'm gonna record a quick cover of the Disco Girl song from the show. Only a small section of the song would be in each video, but patrons would get access to the full covers, and be able to request songs to be covered.

Discounts on commissions

A monthly speedpaint that would be exclusive to patreon. Patrons would be able to vote on what the drawing would be.

All of these ideas I'm 100% sure I want to add to a patreon if I make one, but obv there could be more that comes up later. I'm just gauging interest on this idea rn, so let me know if that's something you'd be down to sign up for! Maybe I'm jumping the gun here but I'm just really excited to create and give back to the community and aaahhhhh

Now, no matter what, I'm gonna have this first video out by mid-September at the latest. Because stupid money troubles are not gonna stop me from making this a thing dangit. So look out for that, I'll link the vid here when it releases! But I am just really stressed rn and any support would go a long way towards making this dream come true. And on that note, one more sappy real talk if I am allowed it?

If you've read this far, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. This community and fandom is truly incredible. My blog is about to reach 5 years old, and I've never seen a group of people so accepting and creative and just fun to be around. You guys have truly changed my life, and I wouldn't have the courage to try for this if I didn't have the support you've given me. I know this is super dramatic for just trying to make a youtube channel, but making a place where I could just talk about all the nerdy and overly specific things I care about and share them with the world is something I've wanted for my whole life. You guys gave me that with this blog, and if this channel works out, it'll be thanks to you, so you'll have given it to me twice. I don't have the words to express how much I love this community and all the incredible people in it. So even if you can't support, just know that being here for however long you have been, whether it's the whole five years or the last two days, has done more than you'll ever know. You guys are the best, thank you for everything <3

[paganimagevault]

Female Europid Mummy from the Necropolis of Subexi III, Grave M6, Turfan District, Xinjiang. 5th-3rd C. BCE. Source: Baumer, Christoph.The history of Central Asia. Vol.1. The age of the steppe warriors. London : I.B. Tauris, 2012. pg. 218 left DS329.4 .B38 2012. Image via University of Pennsylvania. See maps in the post before this one for a better understanding of the geography discussed.

"Section 26 – The Kingdom of Nearer [i.e. Southern] Jushi 車師前 (Turfan)

1. ‘Nearer Jushi’ 車師前 refers to the kingdom or state centered in the Turfan oasis or, sometimes, to the tribe which controlled it. There can be no question that Nearer Jushi refers here to the Turfan Oasis. See for example: CICA, p. 183, n. 618; also note 1.5 above. For the etymology of the name Turfan see Bailey (1985), pp. 99-100, which is summed up in his sentence: “The name turpana- is then from *druva-pāna- ‘having safe protection’, a name suitable for a walled place.”

“One other oasis town is currently under excavation. At Yarghul (Jiaohe), 10 km (16 miles) [sic – this should read 10 miles (16 km)] west of Turpan, archaeologists have been excavating remains of the old Jushi capital, a long (1,700 m (5,580 ft)) but narrow (200 m (656 ft)) town between two rivers. From the Han period they uncovered vast collective shaft tombs (one was nearly 10 m (33 ft) deep). The bodies had apparently already been removed from these tombs but accompanying them were other pits containing form one to four horse sacrifices, with tens of horses for each of the larger burials.” Mallory and Mair (2000), pp. 165 and 167.

“Some 300 km (186 miles) to the west of Qumul [Hami] lie [mummy] sites in the vicinity of the Turpan oasis that have been assigned to the Ayding Lake (Aidinghu) culture. The lake itself occupies the lowest point in the Turpan region (at 156 m (512 ft) below sea level it is the lowest spot on earth after the Dead Sea). According to accounts of the historical period, this was later the territory of the Gushi, a people who ‘lived in tents, followed the grasses and waters, and had considerable knowledge of agriculture. They owned cattle, horses, camels, sheep and goats. They were proficient with bows and arrows.’ They were also noted for harassing travellers moving northwards along the Silk Road from Krorän, and the territories of the Gushi and the kingdom of Krorän were linked in the account of Zhang Qian, presumably because both were under the control of the Xiongnu. In the years around 60 BC, Gushi fell to the Chinese and was subsequently known as Jushi (a different transcription of the same name).” Mallory and Mair (2000), pp. 143-144.

“History records that in 108 BC Turpan was inhabited by farmers and traders of Indo-European stock who spoke a language belonging to the Tokharian group, an extinct Indo-Persian language [actually more closely related to Celtic languages]. Whoever occupied the oasis commanded the northern trade route and the rich caravans that passed through annually. During the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) control over the route see-sawed between Xiongnu and Han. Until the fifth century, the capital of this kingdom was Jiaohe.” Bonavia (1988), p. 131.

“Turpan is principally an agricultural oasis, famed for its grape products – seedless white raisins (which are exported internationally) and wines (mostly sweet). It is some 80 metres (260 feet) below sea level, and nearby Aiding Lake, at 154 metres (505 feet) below sea level, is the lowest continental point in the world.” Ibid. p. 137.

“The toponym Turfan is also a variation of Tuharan. Along the routes of Eurasia there are many other place names recorded in various Chinese forms that are actually variations of Tuharan.” Liu (2001), p. 268."

-Notes to The Western Regions according to the Hou Hanshu. Second Edition (Extensively Revised and Expanded). John E. Hill. University of Washington.

[disasterbuck]

FanFic Ask Game

So I saw this post (linked above) and decided to answer all the questions instead of just reblogging and waiting for asks. Enjoy getting to know a bit more about me as a writer!

💖 What do you like most about your own writing?

I love how fluffy it generally is and how my fics always have a happy ending 🥰

😐 What embarrasses you most about your own writing?

I don't think I'm embarrassed about my writing? Maybe sometimes I'll write a kiss that feels a bit cringe?

👻 What is one WIP you think you may never pick back up?

'the heist wip'. Inspired by the episode Ocean's 9-1-1, I wanted to explore what situation could make them ACTUALLY turn to crime. I had a vague idea of a woman's dog being kidnapped by her abusive ex, and Buck gets all obsessed over it and eventually asks the rest of the team to help him break the dog out or something. idk. I don't have a solid enough idea and I feel like it would end up being a long fic which I just can't commit to atm. (If anyone reading this is inspired by this idea, feel free to write it!! But please tag me if you do! I would love to read it!)

👀 Do you have any WIPs that you would never let see the light of day? If yes, what are they about?

... I don't think so?

Yeah I've just had a skim through and can't find anything that I would never share if I managed to finish it.

📥 What is your fave fic to receive comments/messages on?

Ooohhh, I love getting comments on ALL my fics but I guess if I had to choose I'd probably go with Friends Don't (8.5k) because it has a special place in my heart.

✏️ Do you write every day?

Not strictly, but most days yes.

🖊 Post a snippet from a current WIP.

"Back to my point," Chimney said once Hen's laughter died down. "You two are codependent. I bet you couldn't even go a day without having to touch each other."

Buck's face flushed a darker shade of red.

"Yes we could," Eddie argued, suddenly stubborn and confrontational. "We could go a week."

"You wanna bet, Diaz?" Chimney asked, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

After a quick glance to communicate with Buck, Eddie nodded and said, "You're on. What are the terms?"

don't say his name wip

🏅 What is something you recently felt proud of in regard to your writing (finished a fic, actually planned for once, etc).

I wrote 4 drabbles exactly 100 words each!! It took quite a bit of editing and revising but I'm really happy with how they turned out! You can read them here if you're interested: buddie month | four drabbles

😈 Is there anything you enjoy doing that you think your readers hate?

fhdskjfhs I HOPE NOT 😅

🌙  What time of day do you prefer to write? Why?

I don't really have a preferred time of day?

👖 Are you a planner, plantser, or pantser? Is it consistent?

Yes. And no. lol

📊 Current number of WIPs

............................ 104 🙈

👨‍👧‍👧 Do you tell people in real life that you write fic? 

Depends ENTIRELY on the person. But generally yes. This does not equal letting them read my fics though lol.

🌝 Who is one character you haven’t yet written for that you would like to?

Hm, good question. Maybe Athena?

📝 What is one growth area you have for your writing?

Uhhh I don't know. I feel like I'm constantly learning about writing and just generally trying to improve in all areas.

📚 Do you read your own fic?

YES ALL THE TIME. I looooove reading over my fics. Makes me so happy!!

🤔 What is the hardest part of writing fic?

Writing kisses. Or endings. Both. Every time Buddie are about to kiss I tend to abandon the fic for a while lmaoooo and then whenever I have to wrap it up it takes me 3-5 business days.

🧠 What’s an idea you have that you can’t quite call a WIP yet?

Up for anything. All I've got for it so far is this:

Buck: No, I mean it. I'm up for anything. If you can come up with something I won't do you win. But I'm telling you right now I never back down from a dare.

💻 Do you do research for your fics? What’s the deepest dive you’ve done?

fhjskfh I hate research. My deepest dive is whatever happens in the show. I'll rewatch or maybe read wikis to make sure I get show details accurate but anything else? I'm making that shit up bestie 😅

✨ Choose three adjectives to complement your own writing.

🙈 sweet, emotional, aaaaaand heartwarming? idk

💭 What is a headcanon you have about your own work?

I don't have headcanons about my own work! Everything is canon! They're my works! My reality! YOU can have headcanons about my works lol.

🍰 Name one of your fave comfort fics (doesn’t have to be your all time fave).

Of my own or someone elses?

Of my own fics, I love you (4k) is my fave.

Someone else's, the first that comes to mind is The Best Lie is a Truth (My Best Mask is My Face) (43k) by @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels uggghhh it is chef's kiss!! Fake dating my beloved! 💕

👩‍🏭 If one of your fics was going to get you arrested, which one and why?

Lazy Mornings (1k) for being so freaking adorable 🥰

⏰ Do you spend more time reading fic, writing fic, or do you do both equally?

I think it's fairly equal? But maybe a bit more time writing, because a lot of the reading I do is of physical books rather than fic.

-

taglist because there's a sneaky snippet hidden above:

@dluoser @taketheplanspinitsideways @loudenthusiastic @wallywise @mxrcjqckspnchqsc

@therosesaredying @stillfuckingtired @classtrialguru @smolfunpenguin

@awesome-igi @natnuszsstuff @olliesrants @crazyfangirlallert @delirium1995

@brah3280 @meanceclosetohell @anythingeverythingallofthetime @sunflower-eddiediaz

@darkrose6578 @veronae-buddie @steadfastsaturnsrings @loveyouanyway @inell

@spicyrottingbrains @gnoeltop @idealuk @donationwayne @lemotmo

@smilingbuckley @realpersonwithrealfeelings @superlock-in-the-tardis @mjthe14thdoctor @strxwbereee

@idontknowwhatimdoing777 @ashleigh2658 @mari-lwyd-fannibal-blog @mineyneedsmoney

@spotsandsocks @unlifeira @pirrusstuff @buddiedaydreamer911

@littlevampireprincessuniverse @misshiss727 @i-put-the-star-in-bastard @hermioneindisguise @dangerpronebuddie

@specialbrownieeater @blue-winged-boy @bucks-daddy-issues @lightningmcqueer8

Let me know if you'd like to be added or removed 💕

p.s. I'm updating my taglist, check out the info on this post

[rustbeltjessie]

Happy Pride! Here's my pinned for June:

I'm Jessie Lynn McMains, aka Rust Belt Jessie. I'm an Xennial writer/artist/zine-maker/etc. (I wear many hats.) I'm queer (bi/mspec) and nonbinary/genderfluid (am I trans or not? IDK, but I'm definitely cisn't). As far as pronouns go, I’m okay with any human pronoun (they and she are my most-used, but I like he, too, and I especially like it when people switch up the pronouns they use for me). I’m disabled and neurodivergent.

I live with my partner and our two kiddos, both of whom are also neurodivergent, and right now I’m supporting all of us on whatever money I earn. I do freelance copywriting and editing as my main thing, but I also make a decent chunk of my income from selling my zines and books and pins and whatever else I make, so the more I sell, the better able I am to pay bills and take care of my family.

Through my Ko-fi (ko-fi.com/rustbeltjessie), you can buy my zines and books (I have both poetry and prose available) and pins, as well as commission me to make you a music-inspired mini-collage or hire me to edit your own writing. Or just throw me a few bucks if you appreciate the content I make available for free.

If you live outside the US (I can only ship within the US via Ko-fi, because setting up shipping for multiple countries is a pain the butt), or just prefer to purchase something or donate via a different platform, I also have PayPal (coeur.de.fantome@gmail.com) and Venmo (@ JessieLynnMcMains).

I also have a Substack (jessielynnmcmains.substack.com). I try to send something out at least once a month. Sometimes it's a longer piece about music and nostalgia, sometimes it's just updates on what I'm up to, sometimes it's something else. I recently did a series about my writing process, inspiration, and revision.

You can find links to all of the above, and some other stuff, at linktr.ee/rustbeltjessie.

I'm not gonna get into all my political beliefs and special interests this time around, because if you poke around this blog (or my side blogs, which aren't too hard to find) a bit, you should be able to figure those out pretty quick.

And, as always, keeping this post circulating helps, too. Thanks. 🖤

[transformers-mosaic]

Transformers: Mosaic #640 - "Ragnarok"

Originally posted on March 12th, 2012

Story - Juan Pablo Osorio Art - Mitsuko Hazama Letters, Edits - Franco Villa Edits - Zac DeBoard

deviantART | Seibertron | TFW2005

Later revised and annotated for Transformers: The Lost Seasons

wada sez: See the link above for some commentary! On deviantART, the project team clarified: “Yep, multiple Abominuses (or is it Abomini? :D ), these guys had so little personality in the cartoon that the ones we saw in the show could have very well been different sets of Terrorcons, it's also a nod to the armies of Terrorcons the Quints had in TF:Energon.” They also had this to say about their involvement with Mosaic generally: “this will be most probably one of our last Mosaics as we've been asked to not submit any more thre-part stories.” The evil is defeated!

[underdark-dreams]

Can you please talk about your writing! how you write and revise and where you get your inspiration you are just so amazing! I could use some tips to get my writing to the next level. maybe some fic recs you find inspiring as well? only if you want too.

I sat on this ask for a while to mull it over, so thanks for your patience! I can definitely talk about my general process and link some fics that have inspired me.

I've also answered some other asks about writing process and technique. You can read those here if you like:

Emotional and feelings-focused writing

Writing descriptively

Fic writing: general process

First, it's good to have your opening and your ending in mind before you start. Even if it's just:

OC walks into Sorcerous Sundries

Rolan and OC fall asleep together

If you have the bookends, it's a lot easier to find the story's beats in the middle. (Or decide that you can't find the path from A to B after all & need to change one of them around)

Once I have those two down, I usually write out the main beats of the story next. These will be the parts that excite you most as a writer!! Like, they make you giddy to write about! Getting these down on paper has ALWAYS given me a burst of momentum to get through the drier/connecting bits.

So I encourage you to write out the story events/scenes that make you most excited first. Exposition will come later! Don't worry about 'setting things up' right now, unless you really want to start there. Remember that your first draft only has to make sense to you.

Inspiration

Damn if I could bottle the answer to this one, I'd be set for life! lmao

A lot of people start writing first and find the inspiration along the way. It's a valid and effective method!

I usually wait for ideas to come to me first, and they usually come when I'm totally disconnected from my writing computer. I swear, my strongest ideas for a fic setup or interesting scene always come when I'm at work or vacuuming or some crap

Best advice I can give is to keep a notes app on your phone or something similar. Rotate your characters around in your mind while you're doing other random life things, and good ideas will usually come to you. Jot down the framework or some dialogue or whatever strikes you before you forget it, then revisit it when you have more time.

Revising and editing

I'm one of those writers who edits a ton as they go, instead of drafting out a story and revising in one go. So this part is kind of difficult for me to answer...the two processes are unfortunately so interconnected in my head!

The main thing is to make sure you give yourself a few days between writing and doing your final edit. Even if you've been revising along the way, taking some time away from your fic lets you gain a fresh perspective.

I will admit, I also keep thesaurus.com open in a tab at all times. Like. I am addicted to finding just the right word

As with all of the above, your mileage may vary! The right technique is the one that gets you writing and creating. 💯

Fic Recs

Here's a list from back in December! Still in love with all of these!

Also:

Deeply and Immovably So by Cometra / @dutifullylazybread - Absolutely required reading for any Rolan x Tav fans! Tav is AFAB/she/her. Darcy's worldbuilding and imagery is incredible, very deep and meaningful. Just all-around excellence!

verso by aes3plex - Zevlor x m!Tav oneshot. This story like...made me understand who Zevlor was as a character. I don't know how else to describe it. Really wonderful backstory threaded through a present-day encounter with some of the best prose ever. Love!

But I will admit, I grew up reading Trek fics, and those stories and writers have stayed with me longer than anything else. I think old fandom + huge universe + writers with sheer decades of experience in fanon have a lot to do with the quality of writing there. Not relevant to BG3 but has definitely shaped how I write today!

[headfullof-ideas]

Soft follow-up to my Monumential post. We don’t know much about Lemuria and the Monumentials themselves, aside from the fact that Lemuria sank six thousand years prior to the show, and the Monumentials have been around for at least a little longer than that. Long enough that Lemuria already had more than one device to control them, and effectively enough that it seemed to be a somewhat militant thing. At least that’s what the intention was when the Benthos line tried to usurp Doreus.

But that’s all we know. There’s not much information about how long the Monumentials had been around, or what Lemuria was like in regard to the rest of the world. Which means it’s a whole entire sandbox for us six fans to play with. I’ve already talked about how I also like to imply that the Monumentials aren’t from this world, but I also like to play with Lemuria’s origins, the Nekton and Benthos’s families connection to one another, and all sorts of other stuff. Each AU I have tends to have slightly different origins or functions when it comes to Lemuria and the Monumentials lore, but I’ve built an entire background for the Monumentials and how they’re linked to Lemuria’s history.

I’m writing this because I’ve been revising and editing my Subnautica/The Deep story, and all the above is pretty important to the story itself, aside from a few tweaks to make it fit with the games lore

[the-undercity]

Careful With Otherlinking (May Lead To Thoughtform)

(edited as of 8/20/23 to be a little more concise, hopefully sound Less Aggressive, and revised without links for the sake of brevity)

TL;DR available at the bottom!

THE POST:

I'm not an expert on the subject of otherlinking. I'm simply making this post to inform people who either stumble across the community (like I did), or who may be in the community and are not already aware of the information I will be talking about here. Namely that some guides detailing how to form a linktype have a similar enough process to thoughtform creation that there may be the unintended side effect of accidentally creating a thoughtform if you are not careful with what you're doing.

The guides for forming a linktype that I have seen follow the steps of immersing yourself in things related to the linktype you are trying to work towards, which itself is very innocuous and not at all an issue! However, with communities/practices such as soulbonding, the same steps are present. The difference is whether your focus is placed internally or externally (with things such as asking in your head what your chosen linktype would prefer in certain situations, this line of thinking can particularly easily move into the "external focus" area).

With otherlinking having similar steps to something like soulbonding (the example here, and what originally made me write this post), it's no wonder that there have been reports here on Tumblr of people who ended up experiencing accidental thoughtform creation while trying to form their linktypes. The numbers are slim, but the potential does seem to be there, if their stories are to be believed!

Otherlinking itself is nothing that is any different from another alterhuman community. My intention is not to scare anyone off who is a prospective member of their community or make people in the community question what they've been doing already. My whole goal for this post is to inform people that there is the potential for an unwanted side effect like thoughtform creation. You should be aware of the effects of everything you do in life after all!

Whether or not this is a bad outcome to you, or you believe in thoughtforms at all (for those who doubt things related to the topic), the fact of the matter is that it is a serious outcome for people who otherwise may not fully understand what is going on, or what they're getting into. To put it simply, if you follow a guide to form a linktype, you expect a linktype, not another consciousness in your head!

WHAT TO DO:

If you're someone who writes guides for forming a linktype, it would be helpful to add a note about the possibility for this outcome in the guide, or if possible (and if you'd like to), revise any steps that might contribute to the unintended consequence. If you're someone who has linktypes or would like to get into the community, just do your best to be aware and educated! Talk to your peers, get involved, and find out what's the norm and what isn't for your experiences. There's a good chance it'll never happen to you, but do your best to understand the methods you're using and why they work the way they do. If you're someone who HAS experienced what I mentioned in the post, I implore you to reach out and ask questions! Don't hesitate to seek advice or find others who might be able to help you understand your situation better. Finally, if you're anyone else, aside from the above- perhaps even just a curious onlooker who happened to read this all the way to the end (or skipped here)- spread the word if you can! Likes and reblogs help and are greatly appreciated.

Feel free to message me questions, comments, or concerns related to this post. If you think I missed something or should have reworded anything in here, let me know! I wish the best for anyone who reads this. Thank you!

TL;DR : This is a notice about otherlinking's methods of forming a linktype being similar to methods of creating a thoughtform, and that trying to form a linktype may lead to unintentional thoughtform creation.

[esoteric-chaos]

Pine - The Mundane and Magical 101

Growing up on my edge of the west coast, Pine trees have always been abundant. Specifically the Western White Pine for example.

This plant spirit is one I work with generally in the winter as this is where I personally feel it’s energy is stronger. It's a wonderful plant to work with and has been used by indigenous cultures to this land for healing. To venerate and honour this land I work with Pine.

Scientific Name: Pinus

Family: Pinaceae

Parts used: For species of Pine it varies

Planet: Mars

Element: Air

CAUTIONS: It is important to know not all species of Pine are edible. Also please note that if you have pets be cautious with Pine as it can cause irritation to the mouth and gastrointestinal issues. Which can lead to serious complications if ingested. Keep any pine needles and oils out of reach.

ALWAYS check with your local herbalist and doctor before consuming any medicinal medicine as they will be able to direct you on proper dosages. Some medications can also interact and so can some conditions with certain herbs.

Do NOT consume if pregnant and Pine may irritate the gut by creating heartburn.

IMPORTANT: Some Pine trees look very alike to other toxic plants so source responsibility and safely.

Uses in Herbalism and healing:

Internally, pine is a traditional remedy for coughs, colds, allergies, and urinary tract and sinus infections.

Topically, pine is used for infections and to lessen joint inflammation in arthritic conditions.

Uses in Magic:

Pine's correspondences are purification, protection, prosperity, healing, fertility and strength.

Pine needles scattered on the floor is said to drive away evil

When burned it can purify negativity

Needles can be burned for reversal spells or back to sender spells

Money magic

Can be used in oils, teas, incense, washes, etc. Get creative!

Makes a great purifying natural cleaner mixed with vinegar

Branches of pine above the bed is said to keep sickness away

In Japan Pine trees are venerated as sacred. Symbolizing longevity. Some place Pine above the front door to ensure lasting joy within, for the leaves are evergreen.

Recipes:

Herbal Salve for Inflammation - Makes 5 ounces

What you need

1 oz. beeswax (use carnauba wax for a vegan salve)

4 oz. Pine Pitch infused oil in Olive Oil - See my Infused Oils post to learn more

Directions

Wrap beeswax bar in an old towel. On a sturdy surface, use a hammer to break bar up into small chunks.

Place beeswax in a double boiler and gently warm over low heat until the beeswax melts.

Add herbal oils and stir over low heat until well-mixed.

Remove from heat

Quickly pour warm mixture into prepared heat safe tin(s) or cosmetic glass jar(s)

Store in a cool location for 1 to 3 years. 

Sources and extra reading material:

Please remember while I provide sources, some content is my own UPG from working for years intuitively with this herbal ally. What you do not see from my sources assume it is my UPG and take what information you will. Always cross reference and research yourself. All medical knowledge will be sourced.

Books:

Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (Expanded and Revised Edition) by Scott Cunningham

The Complete Herbal Tutor by Anne McIntyre

Links:

Want to check out my other posts? Here’s the Masterpost

[unnatural-transformations]

Quantum Groups & Knot Invariants [1 of n]

This is the first installment of what I hope will eventually be a series of posts. I'll be making them over the next few months as I try to improve my understanding of the relationship between knot invariants and the representation theory of quantum groups. In particular, my minimal goal for the year is to learn how to calculate the Jones polynomial of a link via the representation theory of the q-deformed analogue of the universal enveloping algebra of sl_2 (where sl_2 is the Lie algebra of 2 by 2 matrices with zero trace).

While I hope these posts will be of interest to others (and I will try to write them with some sort of general reader in mind), I should admit up front that I'm mostly writing them for myself. I know (or used to know) a bit about both knot invariants and quantum groups separately, but it's been a while since I looked at either subject and I never really knew much about how they were connected. I'm challenging myself to try to improve on that state of affairs: first by refreshing my old knowledge and then by moving on to something new [or at least, new to me: I'm not doing anything original here].

My idea is that I'm more likely to achieve this goal if I have at least a notional audience to keep me honest about my progress. Hence, this blog and this series of posts.

(I'm also using this as an excuse to try to teach myself to make better use of LaTeX packages like TikZ and xypic. Since Tumblr really doesn't have any good way of rendering mathematics, you should expect to see a lot of embedded images in the posts in this series.)

The next few posts in this series will be my attempts to summarize the key ideas at work as best as I can. These are mostly ideas I'm already fairly familiar with (or at least, ideas I should be familiar with), so I hope this stage won't take more than a few weeks. The limiting factor might just be how much time I have to write things up properly.

Knots and links; their diagrams and the idea of knot invariants

The Jones polynomial via Kauffman's bracket polynomial

Braids, Hecke algebras of type A and the Temperley-Lieb algebra

[+ the Jones polynomial via a trace on the Temperley-Lieb algebra]

[+ monoidal categories; examples and basic properties]

Braided monoidal categories

Motivating bialgebras and Hopf algebras

Representations of some particular quantum groups

Universal R-matrices and quasitriangular Hopf algebras

Schur-Weyl duality (both classical and quantum)

I won't necessarily be posting about these topics in this order, but this order is at least as likely as any other. [Edit: any additions to the list will be indicated in square brackets like this, and prefaced with a + symbol.]

I'll update the list above as I finish writing the posts (both to add links and perhaps to slightly revise the list itself with new or different topics).

After that, what I post about next will depend on where my reading takes me and how much progress I manage to make. At a minimum, I'll try to post a quick summary of whatever I'm currently reading every couple of weeks.

[equestrianequivalent]

QuintSum has been finished. What now?

Yes, you read that right. I've finished the first draft of QuintSum. I'm done. I told you, I said I would be, and I finally am! So, what now?

Well, the short answer is that I'm going to release it all on Ao3, but there's a few things to discuss related to that process, because that won't be done in a day either.

How will you release the fic?

ALSO, IMPORTANT: If you started reading before August 2024, I suggest you start over from the beginning. I have changed way more than I ever could've predicted that I would, and it shows. While you're probably going to be able to follow the story, you're probably not going to understand a Solid amount of basic knowledge the characters hold, nevertheless what each character is thinking and why, especially not how we got to this point, if you don't reread the first 28 chapters. But also I'm not your mom you can do whatever you want. But don't say I didn't warn you.

We will go 1-3 releases per remaining arc. Most arcs will be released in two halves, as you can see in the screenshot above. The short explanation is that this means there will be less releases with more chapters. (And don't let the low chapter count fool you, the wordcount goes haywire sooner than you think. The chapters currently average around 4-6k.)

There is 135 chapters in total, it would take me over a year to upload this entire thing even if I released two chapters per week. And I don't want to do that. Therefore, I will release them per arc, which is a collection of chapters about the same part of the story, pretty much. Those releases will look as follows:

Arc 5: Chapters 30-34. (One release)

Arc 6: Chapters 35-51. (Two releases)

Arc 7: Chapters 52-59. (One release) (<- Most subject to change, this bitch is a complete mess in terms of chapter length already. Stay tuned to see how I deal with that I guess!)

Arc 8: Chapters 60-84. (Three releases)

Arc 9: Chapters 85-103. (Two releases)

Arc 10: Chapters 104-109. (One release)

Arc 11: Chapters 110-116. (One release)

Arc 12: Chapters 117-135. (Two releases)

I cannot say when these will be uploaded, but this means that there will be 13 releases of new chapters.

Probably. There is always a chance that I will split up the arcs more, because, I don't know if you've noticed, but the second draft is already getting ridiculously long, and these chapters sometimes take me multiple days to get through. I'm a full-time university student currently getting a bachelors, and I'm at least planning on getting a masters going as well, sometimes I just do not have the time to write as much as I really would.

Anyways! This is how it's going to work on My end of things:

I will edit and finalize the chapters in each release, and then upload that entire batch on Ao3 together. This will take however long it may. I have no deadlines and no goals to hit. It'll be done when it's done. Then I will release a post announcing that this arc has been uploaded, with a link to the First chapter in that arc. This will repeat until we reach the last chapters. And then we're done. It is Way less complicated than it sounds, all you need to do, really, is remember that I will release things less consistently, but when I do release, believe me, you will have stuff to read.

How long is this fic?

135 chapters. And the wordcount of the first draft ended up at 280k words. It will probably be a little more on Ao3 because I always add stuff when I revise. So far I'm 100% on track to double the final draft, but don't hold me to that. I'm personally assuming it'll be somewhere between 350-450k words. All my friends think it will be longer. We'll find out who is in the right once it is done. Point is that while I never intended to set the record for the longest fic sorted by word count on Ao3, well, right now it sure is looking like I will do just that. By a lot.

What is important to keep in mind?

Read the tags. I have consistently talked on my main about how the biggest goal of QuintSum has been to "make Elizabeth's death worth it". Third-party sources would agree that I have done just that. In fact, my friends would all claim I've managed to write a by-the-books tragedy. Do with that what you will. Other than that, you can expect pretty standard things from the game. And a few near-death experiences here and there. I will say tho, remember that I rate this story T, that rating speaks louder than Most of the tags. The tags aren't lying, but the severity of it is dictated more than anything by the rating.

Anything else?

Tell @jorvikzelda that you love them because they're the entire reason that I started, nevertheless finished this fuckass fic of mine. Stay tuned for the release, boys, we fucking made it.

(If you want some sporadic updates because I can't shut up, I'm always yappin over at @shiroselia and otherwise you can find me at Ao3 as per usual)

Cheers!

[insanescriptist]

What's Black Sky? What's happening? I never saw this story under tags before, can you do a guide for people like us to understand?

This is a link that takes you to the fic that Umei started nearly a decade ago. It's over 330 chapters and clocks about 1.4 mil words.

It's a HP and KHR crossover, with a fem!Harry raised by the Blacks. And then gets entangled with the mafia. To the mafia's peril.

Umei's ff.net profile has a further break down on the fic

Story Arc Guide for Black Sky:

Chapters 1-41, Hogwarts Arc Chapters 42-44, Wedding Interlude Chapters 45-115, Quest Arc (Includes Parenting is not a Varia Quality, which can be read in order according to the details in the 4th September 2017 post above) Chapters 116-181, Domestic Arc Chapters 182-215, Xanxus at Work Arc Chapters 216-283, Vongola Politics Arc Chapters 284-321, Consequences Arc, followed by Yesterday's Tomorrow before the next arc begins Chapters 322-324, Impact Interlude Chapters 325- Cross-Purposes Arc

What's these other fics in this list Izzy? The epic spawned side stories. Are any of these fics on Ao3 Izzy? No, they're not. Not yet. Black Sky will be moved over once it's finished, so it can have some edits done to some of the earlier chapters to revise a few details. Umei's said that if she tries to do so prior to finishing it, she'll get bogged down in the revisions and won't get any writing done.

Which would be a shame because there's only so many backlogged chapters.

[aboleth-workshop]

Hey there friends. I've decided to upload all my D&D 3e/3.5 Homebrew (and other TTRPG Writing) to a new blog.

It's a slow start but we're making progress, so give it a read if you like! And if there's a class or race or other homebrew idea I've made that you want uploaded and revised earlier, let me know!

Recently I haven't liked the organization for my homebrew--how each of my custom fantasy races, classes, etc were all scattered on different Google doc links and random posts on this side Tumblr. So I am collecting all my past homebrew and slowly uploading it all to a new blog - linked above!

Everything will still be available to read in my Homebrew Masterpost while I slowly upload everything over to the new blog. And it will remain, as ever, free to use for your own games/campaign (with credit please). I am doing some revisions while uploading, however; so if any class, race or other homebrew is published on the new blog--that is the most current and revised version.

Sadly, except for maybe answering Asks and responding to homebrew suggestions, I am not planning to upload any new projects to this side Tumblr. I will still be available to chat about homebrewing and ttrpg worldbuilding on here and my main blog @aboleth-eye, but this new blog is where I'll be posting updates about new 3e/3.5 content and any homebrew games--like future ideas for D20borne, the Land of the Lustrous ttrpg, and other new games I may work on.

And just in case, I am still uploading the story of my Ravenloft D&D campaign, Freaks & Facades, to its own Blog here!

Thanks for understanding, and for reading all this! I hope the new blog is a better tool for fans of ttrpgs and Dungeons & Dragons to get to see the versatility of D&D 3e/3.5 edition (which I forever stand as the best edition to this day, sorry not sorry lol).

Aboleth Eye

[onyx-archer]

WRITING AND EDITING COMMISSIONS

As I'm in the need of a bit of money due to vet bills hurting my wallet, I'm offering writing based commissions. This can be fanfiction, original fiction, or even an essay if you're feeling spicy and want me to spout opinions from my mouth-hole through my keyboard. I also offer my services as an editor for small to medium sized projects other people have written.

For Fanfiction: Because these require me to have some level of knowledge of the source material, I'm offering fanfiction at a slightly lower price over all than the other options. I'm willing to write for most ships, even ones I don't like, provided they aren't pro-ship stuff (incest, adult/minor, fetishized abuse, etc).

Starting Price is $10 USD for 5000 words.

From here, it's an additional $2 USD per 1000 words.

In most circumstances, I will not exceed 10000 words.

Limited NSFW is allowed, with the price ranging from $5-10 USD, depending on my comfort level with what is requested.

You are given 2 free revision edits per 5000 words if you are unsatisfied with something.

All revisions after those free revisions incurs a fee, which will range between $1-3 USD, depending on how much needs to be revised.

You do not own the fanfiction in question, and it will be posted to my AO3 and Tumblr (at minimum), which you can link.

If you wish to post it on your own platforms, instead of them being posted on mine, you can pay a $5-10 fee, and I'll consider it a ghost writing project.

For Original Fiction: Most of the above applies to Original Fiction, but the prices are different. This is because I can't read your mind, and unless you give me a clear enough vision of what you want, I'm less likely to satisfy you.

Starting Price is $15 USD for 5000 words.

From here, it's an additional $3 USD per 1000 words.

I will not write anything more than 10000 words for original fiction. This is due to the level of commitment involved.

Limited NSFW is allowed, but will incur a $7-15 fee, depending on my comfort level.

You are given 3 free revision edits per 5000 words if you are unsatisfied with something.

All revisions after that will add a fee of $3-5 USD, depending on how much needs to be revised.

I own the story, and will post to my Tumblr and Wattpad (at minimum), which you can link.

If you'd like to own the original fiction outright, you can triple what you paid to own it. I can still list it in my credits though.

If you want to not have me take any credit at all, it's a flat $100 USD minimum.

For Editing: I will edit any form of writing, but it comes with different pricing.

I have a mandatory cost of $10 USD to start, regardless of what it is, or how long it is.

This mandatory cost is increased to $20 USD if the thing I'm editing is NSFW.

If the work exceeds 5000 words, I will charge an additional $2 USD per 1000 words.

If the word exceeds 10000 words, then I will double that to $4 USD per 1000 words.

I will not exceed 25000 words per job at this time. I just don't have the time for that.

I will require editing credit in the event the thing I'm editing is original fiction that you intend to publish. This does not apply for Fanfiction or Essays.

For Essays: If you're a weirdo, and just want to pay me to write some kind of essay akin to some of the ones I post on here, then you can do that. I charge a base fee of $15 USD, but the price will fluctuate depending on the subject matter. I won't write any essays on anything overtly political. They will be posted onto my Tumblr. I can't guarantee you will agree with the thesis though, so you've been warned if you wanna do this.

Contacting Me: I can be reached via DMs or Asks (I prefer asks before DMs, but whatever works). From there, we can discuss whatever it is you want me to write, as I want to confirm if I'm comfortable with writing whatever it is you want me to.

Additional Terms & Conditions:

ALL SALES ARE FINAL ONCE WORK HAS STARTED UNLESS THE FOLLOWING SITUATION OCCURS: If I am unable to work on the commission for one reason or another, I will then refund you 50% of the money, and give you all things produced for you to do with however you please, without needing to credit me.

In the event that you harass me about a commission, cross boundaries too often in our conversations, or I otherwise deem you to be rude, at my own discretion, I will cancel the commission. You will not be refunded. By paying me, you are agreeing to this condition. I have a life outside of this, and I will not be harassed for it.

Payment will be done over Paypal with an invoice. I will give you 3 days to send payment from when the invoice is sent, unless we've reached an agreement otherwise. Otherwise, I will consider you to be uninterested in proceeding, and will cancel the commission. I do not like having my chain jerked around by people saying they want a commission, only to ghost me.

My writing is NOT to be used for any Web 3.0 or AI Training Data. While I'm sure that many companies will scrape it anyway, I do not work with people who want to put my work into training data.

I will not give you a guaranteed delivery date, but it will usually be within 2 weeks of getting the commission, depending on my schedule.

I know some of this might come off as a bit strict, but I want to cover my ass. Thank you for taking the time to read all of this. If you have any further questions, please, feel free to ask me! Thanks!

(I'm hoping I can get a few so I can manage like, 200 bucks. I had to go to the vet the past month to get one of my cats some shots, so I'm running a bit low on funds.)