#sorry this isn't my best work

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

THE NIPPLE TALK Kaiser Chuang as MAMA

Dedicated to @thisonelikesaliens. Thank you for the translation notes. 🩷

[maideninorange]

For the draw thing, Reisen Udongein Inaba drinking from a little bamboo flask!

She isn't entirely too sure about this special medicine Eirin made, but if she and Princess Kaguya say it will help her on her quest to stop the Lunar Capital...

[hvneymelons]

Dilara laughed out loud, angling her face away from Cal’s teasing words, “You know what I mean. The, like, spice they put in with the pumpkin. I don’t know!” She didn’t have a clue what about the actual coffee made it spicy, or if that was even the word to properly describe the taste but it sounded right. “My mother really likes making pumpkin pie. It’s always been a favorite of mine during this time.” Dee remembered her mother adding die to all of the items in their fridge right before the holiday and laughed. “Did you ever get the green milk? I think for a good while I actually thought it came from a leprechaun.”  Her eyes traveled behind him just as he did, but all she could do was raise a brow in question. Dee could have asked straight away, but got distracted with Cal’s comment and she chuckled. “Is that a good thing? How do you like the croissant?” she asked, taking another bite of the deliciously rich and sweet treats. She would have to add an extra fifteen minutes to her runs each day just to burn the calories she planned to inhale that morning. “Stop!” Dee exclaimed, swatting at his hand. “You know what I meant, don’t be mean. I kind of want a hot chocolate today. Even better if it’s salted caramel.” she replied, glancing back to the register where he kept stealing glances too. “What about you? I can go grab them for us.” Since he seemed like he wanted to hide from someone there.

“coffee is spicy?” calahan chuckled and shook his head, awaiting dilara’s surgical splitting of the pastries before them. it was best if she took control. his frayed nerves would cause carnage on the delicate things, and a hit of sugar would do him good. “i don’t think i’ve ever heard anybody say that before. i don’t know how i feel about the pumpkin craze, but i guess it’s like how everything turns green for st. paddy’s day where i’m from. green milkshakes, green beer . . . ” calahan made a face and moved to relax against his chair, or at least pretend to relax. he wasn’t sure whether he had ever relaxed a day in his life.   he reached to take a bite of one of the croissants, strawberry and nutella, still with an almost instinctive urge to glance over his shoulder, to catch a glimpse of the woman behind the register. just as they had before, the flavors exploded in his mouth like fireworks. it was almost too much for taste buds used to bread, potatoes, and vegetable off-cuts boiled down and shoved into a stew. “you’re right. i’ve never tasted anything like these,” he mused, wiping at the corner of his mouth, “what are you going to order? the spiciest coffee they’ve got?” 

[sultanaswardrobe]

Safiye Sultan’s outfits in Magnificent Century: Kösem -requested by anon

[painom]

Hello! Can I just say that I really appreciate you doing this? I've always been a big fan of your analyses and your ability to get to the root of the characters. Thank you for continuing to let us read your wonderful thoughts and stories.

On your old blog, you discussed your headcannons for Lyney, one being his tendency to forget things like where he put his wallet because him and his mind are very busy. Unfortunately, I didn't save the post (my biggest regret ahhhhh!) and I would love to read your analysis once more. If it's okay with you, could you go over your headcannons for Lyney again? The old, the new, whatever's on your mind and whatever you're willing to share. Thank you so much!

Thank you for the kind ask, anon! Here you go!

New Lyney Headcanons

Self-focused - Though he never seems like it, those that know Lyney well know that he’s often running low on sleep. And really, he has no one to blame but himself. During the day he’s often distracted with magic shows, helping people, little tasks around the hotel, running missions for Father, and much more. And at night? He can often be found alone in his room planning new tricks, arranging missions for his siblings, studying to become the next “king” of the House, and things of the sort. If Lynette and Freminet didn’t keep an eye on him, no doubt he would stay up the whole night if given the chance! Those two welcome all the help they can get. 

Relationship-focused - When it comes to his relationship with you, Lyney never lies. You know he would never do that to you. And sometimes, the knowledge almost lulls you into a false sense of security. Yet you know better. You’re smarter than that. Where Lyney doesn’t lie, he omits. Half-truths so easily fall from his mouth as drops of rain from the sky. Your comments of concern are often brushed off and your questions redirected. As much as you try, you know the truth. He doesn’t want you to know. He doesn’t want you to shoulder his burdens with him. 

old lyney headcanons below!

Would Lyney be honest with you?

With his outgoing and fun personality, it oftentimes is easy to get caught within his flow. Lyney is the charming sort, after all, that one may very well forget that he is subject to the same struggles as the rest. Get to know him well enough, though, and you will quickly realize that this is not a fact he wishes others to know. More than a desire, he needs to be seen as someone in control, as someone without weakness. That’s his role as the big brother. And if that means lying, avoiding, and omitting the truth to accomplish it, then an accomplished performer like himself will do what he must. 

Does Lyney prefer to pursue or be pursued?

With a penchant for flair and dramatics, it’s clear to see Lyney prefers to pursue the people he’s interested in. Really, it’s one of the things he goes all out. With a trick up his sleeve, he won’t hesitate to dazzle you with flowers pulled from nowhere and fireworks from his tophat. He wants you to be enchanted. He wants you to be impressed! You are, aren’t you? You like it, don’t you? So focused on charming you that he often loses sight of much else. Fun fact, should you attempt to turn the tables, however, you can expect his mask of self-confidence to fall to reveal a rather flustered expression beneath. 

Headcanons

Self-focused - If there’s one thing that’s true about Lyney, it is that he is a very busy person. As a person with multiple masks and roles, his thoughts are often preoccupied with House missions, performances, new tricks, and things of the like. So, much to the dismay of others, it’s easy for things to become buried under the multitude of other tasks he needs to take care of. How often the simple things become forgotten—where he last left his wallet, tea time with his siblings, the sale on storybooks at the bookstore. During those times, he really can’t help but appreciate his siblings and their ability to keep him on track. Really, he doesn’t know what he’d do without them!

Relationship-focused - It doesn’t hit you at first, but it doesn’t take you very long to notice how hard Lyney tries for your relationship. Normally this would be a good thing, but it is different with Lyney. Every day he tries to charm you. Every day he attempts to enchant you. You tell him he doesn’t need to try so hard, but that only seems to light a fire beneath him to do even more. You see it in his eyes. He needs to know you are still in awe of him, that you like him as much as he does you. And then it sinks in, doesn’t it? He doesn’t trust you. He doesn’t trust your feelings for him. He’ll never show his true face to you.

old tags for this post: #okay let’s talk lyney for a bit i think the biggest thing to know about lyney is that at his core he is an insecure person insecure and anxious #imo he’s extremely attached to his title of ‘big brother’ that he needs to fulfill the duties if such he needs to protect his siblings and be a person others can rely on #this belief is so strong that he refuses to rely on arlecchino for help and snaps at freminet for trying to get him to open up #he really cares about the way he’s perceived #remember when the traveler found out he’s part of the fatui and he spends his time bending over backwards to try to get them to trust him ‘like me! like me! please. i’m trustworthy i’ll never lie to you please!!’ #honestly imo that’s just one if his faults like lyney is unstable #idk what possessed arlecchino to make him her successor like he’d crack under pressure #lynette is a way better option #but anyway bc of these things he would not trust his partner in a relationship #he wouldn’t rely on them he’d never feel secure which would prompt him to keep trying too hard to ensure he’s still the person he thinks you fell in love with #the most important thing to remember with lyney is that he is a performer and the face he shows to the world is essentially a mask

What’s Lyney’s breaking point in a relationship?

It’s hard to imagine, really. With how much Lyney may seem in love, the idea there’s a point a relationship would be too much for him is hard to believe. But when you really think about it, his breaking point is simple. As strong as his feelings may be for you, his devotion to his family and its cause outweighs everything else. Should your relationship with him ever reach a time where it encroaches upon that which is the most precious to him, then there’s nothing more he can do than let you go.

old tags for this post: #i think the key thing to take in here is that lyney cannot function without his family he is extremely reliant upon them to the extent that he will become unstable without them #just look at the archon quest when wriothesley captured his siblings any and all logic completely went out the window #lyney is an anxious insecure mess and the only thing that holds him together is playing the role he has to as big brother #if your relationship with him ever reaches the point that you transcend into being counted as his family.... he will have no breaking point #the breaking point will be his mind or body. whichever breaks first

[aparticularbandit]

Responding to this post as a separate post because I want to respond to something that I think is beyond the scope/intention of the original post (and honestly the scope/intention of the response in the linked post) but that, like.

I want to respond to it because it's been churning in my head.

Specifically the idea of the Protestant Work Ethic and trying to earn your way into heaven.

Because that's the very antithesis of what the Gospel is.

Over and over, it is made very clear that you cannot earn your way into heaven. (Titus 3:5 and Ephesians 2:8-9 are the ones that come immediately to mind, but there are more than that. (I also like - Romans 4 and the entire discussion about it being faith and not works and especially Romans 4:4-8.)) Literally one of the entire points is that you are stuck in your sin and you cannot get out and no matter what you do, you cannot earn your way in, but God loves you and chose you and wants you, so He paid your debt Himself (Jesus) and is giving you His righteousness - His perfection - because He was the only one who could earn His way in.

God is for you, not against you.

Are there things you should be doing? Yes. (Ephesians 2:10 talks about that, too.) But, like. It's not to earn your way in. It's out of love and gratefulness to the One who got you out of your horrible predicament? And then on top of that, made you a co-heir with Him?

Because it's...He paid for you to get in and then also you got adopted as a child of God? And someone described it once as good works after that being like when a child makes a drawing for their dad and their dad hangs it on the fridge? It's not to earn anything; it's because you love Him, too?

So, like - I want to know where the Protestant Work Ethic went wrong. Why so many people think it's about earning their way when it isn't that at all.

It's a gift. It was always a gift.

[narcissusneverknewme]

they wouldn't let me write the live action Disney adaptions because I would have had the best Ping you have ever seen. He and Shang would have had chemistry that took your breath away. They would be Yearning. the audience would be Yearning. it would be electric and terrifying and by marika would Mulan/Ping be hot. Shang is obsessed, the audience is obsessed. there would be hardly be a person in the attendance that doesn't Get where Shang is coming from. who wouldn't rend their clothes and scream to the heavens over Mulan/Ping. she takes no prisoners.

and yes, Shang kisses him in the snow as he cradles Ping's injured, dying body.

and yes, from the opening scene to the rolling credits he's going slowly mad.

and the first time you see Mulan she's dressed in the most feminine, floaty, light-colored dressy robes, with bone white makeup and painted lips and you fall in love with her. and there's something underneath, too. and it's so intriguing.

and then she shows up as Ping, and it takes a while to get used to, and it's kind of funny and awkward. but then it looks better and better to you. and soon you find you can hardly bear it when the camera turns away from him for even a second. and Ping isn't awkward to be around at all, he's stunning and brave and resilient and determined to be kind and you're desperately in love with him and you decide he looks incredible in the warriors' robes, actually. and his smile makes you want to kiss him. it makes Shang want to scream. and to kiss him.

and then comes the last leg. and she's got the gender-neutral robes, the "neutral" stage makeup. the loose updo. and you've never been as attracted to anyone in your life as Shang is to her. and you get it. you really, really get it. and wow the way the cuff of her sleeves and the silhouette of her robes make your heart clench. and the way her posture, her gait, make a new kind of sense. you can feel this is It. this is The Costume. you're obsessed and Shang is obsessed.

And then in the end, she's wearing pretty soft-colored robes and it makes you think for a moment that she looks like she did at the beginning. but then actually something makes her strength visible too. is it the cut of the costume? her posture? the framing of the shots? Yes it is. and you know, when Shang shows up, You know he can see it too. and he doesn't want to stop looking any more than you do. and he isn't going to even when you do.

every kid that ever watched my Mulan would recall it as Formative, like y'alls Danny Phantom but on the sickest steroids ever invented. She'd be irresistible. and so very gender.

[a-snake-makes-moodboards]

Georgina Orwell x Count Olaf from A Series Of Unfortunate Events moodboard with related inspo

requested by: @free-my-boy-grumbot!! ty for the rq, hope you like it :)

[divider creds: @animatedglittergraphics-n-more]

(all images were found on Google images)

song to go with it: 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' by Lorde

Reblogs are appreciated, requests are open!!

[sleepy-crypt1d]

One of my favorite parts of COF that I find is commonly overlooked is the fact that it doesn't sanitized itself for a broader audience, it comes in with a message, with a story to tell that's hard to swallow with characters that are realistic and heartbreaking, and it doesn't apologize for this once.

Something interesting that occurred to me was how people who have never experienced severe mental health struggles view COF- the specific instance I'm thinking of is when I was explaining the plot to my mom, and had explained the different endings to her and how to get those endings, and what each one seemed to imply both for Simon and his relationship with those in his life, and her takeaway from the conversation was- "I don't like that the mentally ill main character becomes a killer. I don't like that he's the bad guy"

And this was interesting to me because, that's kind of the whole reason why I started to love Simon in the first place.

So infrequently are we shown mentally ill characters who do bad things yet still deserve redemption. Who still deserve to be treated as a person, because they are one. In a world that is becoming largely comfortable with the idea "bad person = deserves to die" it was insanely refreshing to see a character like Simon, who we see hurt people, who we see become obsessed and stalkerish and violent, gain redemption through healing. Through therapy and community and the belief from others that he will get better. That he isn't a lost cause.

In ending 2, one of the darker endings of the experience, we learn that Simon is alone. That his friends and family have all left him. That he's been abandoned due to his disability and general mental health struggles, and this was devastating to me. Upsetting to a degree that had me thinking about it for days afterward. Not helped by Simon's plea to Dr. Purnell to not feel bad because "not everyone can be saved". The way Simon views himself is much too similar to my own view of myself as someone who has struggled with similar issues.

As someone who was led down a path of harm due to untreated issues and still struggles with believing I "deserve" redemption.

Because I do, and so does he.

And it's always so upsetting seeing so many people who view victims as one note stories. As people who just cry sometimes and have trouble talking to people or get sad every once in awhile. Mental health is messy and hard to live with and life ruining at times, and this stripping of it's nuance is so frustrating to see happen over and over and over again.

Victims are not your savior story. They are not cookie cutter helpless children that need to be protected. Abuse and severe struggles do not make you stronger, they do not make you better, they do not magically make you more empathetic or loving and I'm fucking tired of that narrative. I'm tired of being talked over by people who've never experienced it or other victims who think they're the "good" ones because, well, they never did that which means anyone who did is horrible. I'm tired of stories of illness being sanitized for other people's comfort.

Victims can become perpetrators, that does not take away from their victim status. That does not change the fact that they still deserve help. That does not take away from their personhood. They are a human being that needs help, not a death sentence. Should they take accountability? Of fucking course. Does their trauma absolve them of wrongdoing? No. But I'm tired of people acting like cycles don't exist, like the second you act out on your trauma you're past saving.

Simon's story is perfect the way it is. A story of redemption and acceptance, of learning to live and grow and learn from past mistakes and find a way to live peacefully. To take responsibility and attempt to rekindle the relationships you lost, the ones you hurt.

Ending 4 and his admittance to the hospital, as well as his continued friendship with Sophie but acceptance of his loss of a romantic one, is heart breakingly bittersweet in a way that is hard for me to describe. Him getting better but living with what he's done, growing from it and learning to live anyways.

Another part of this is that, in his happy ending, in the ending where he does get better; he doesn't do it alone. Largely, the narrative of community is lost in these stories, how helpful a support system can be. Simon gets better because he has people there for him, because he has Purnell and Sophie and his mom looking out for him. He has his doctors and the staff at the hospital and people who know he can get better, that he's still a person deserving and capable of good.

People need people, and this seems an obvious note to me in the story of COF. Simon needs people. He needed people the entire time. Someone, anyone, to listen to him and give him the hand he needed.

And it's so refreshing to see a character like Simon still be loved and cared about and helped even when he was "the bad guy". Let mental ill characters be realistic. I'm begging you.

[give-soup-please]

The narrator gets stuck on Babysitting duty for a non-verbal, but very mischievous toddler. (Please, and thank you.)

The narrator is quite surprised when his protagonist, Stanley, is suddenly replaced with someone who very much is not Stanley.

The child can't be more than two to three years old. It sits dressed in a little suit and tie, and spins the office chair in circles.

"Oh, oh dear. What's this now?" The narrator says, clearly worried. "Who are you? Where's Stanley?"

The toddler pays him no mind. It lets out a contented noise as it gains momentum, continuing to spin.

"Young human, I expect you to pay attention." Nar scolds sternly. "Where is Stanley?"

The toddler blinks up at where the narrator's voice is coming from, scrunches its nose, tries to get out of the chair, falls on its face, and emits a loud wail.

The narrator groans. He can't believe he's stuck babysitting this... thing. (He's not very good with children who aren't old enough to sit and listen.)

"Well, you'll have to do for a protagonist, I suppose." He complains.

The child is still crying. "There, there..." The narrator says, attempting to comfort the toddler. "You get used to it."

The toddler eventually picks itself up off the ground, and toddles out of the office.

"Finally. When... er- when-" He hesitates, not sure if the toddler has a name.

"-When the baby walked... out of the office..." He gives up. He can't take himself seriously.

This tyke ends up being quite mischievous. It giggles as it turns over trash cans and dumps out cups filled with pencils.

"My office!" The narrator says with a groan. "It will take a reset to clean all of that up. Explain yourself, why do you insist on tormenting me?" There's no heat in his tone, though. No sense getting mad at someone with zero impulse control.

The toddler only laughs at poor Nar's misfortune.

"Can you- can you talk?" the narrator ventures. But once more, the small child has wandered off, possibly in search of more trouble to cause.

Eventually, the narrator realizes he can bribe the child with small toys and apple juice.

What he doesn't predict is the naturally resulting sugar high and overstimulation.

The child runs around in circles, tossing papers into the air.

It's not very long before the narrator is at his wits end. In an act of desperation he teleports the toddler to the zen room (with the door to the staircase missing, of course. He's grumpy, not a monster.)

The toddler is immediately entranced by the lights, and begins to settle down.

"This is my favorite room." The narrator says, not expecting an answer. "It makes me happy." His usual syntax and verbal patterns are replaced with something simpler, that a child would be able to understand.

The toddler relaxes for a time. And eventually falls asleep.

Nar lets out a quiet sigh of relief. "What's with this sassy lost child?" He muses to himself.

[t-errifier]

today is my last day of work before four days off !! but i just need to say, i have the MOST positive reviews right now out of all the pharma techs & i'm so ... proud of myself for this accomplishment. i always try to put my best foot forward at work & it really touches me that people actually felt the need to write nice reviews about me on our company website ;;

[quaranmine]

On Wednesday before I gave my presentation I confessed to a new employee that I was worried it would be too long and she brightly told me her life hack was to just let AI rewrite things for her. She said I should put in all my talking points and ask ChatGPT to give me a five minute exactly presentation. I was like....how is the most polite possible way (since this is a new colleague I shouldn't get off on the wrong foot with) that I can express that I will Not be taking this advice. Ever. I told her that I didn't think we were allowed to use ChatGPT at this job (we most certainly are not, it is a nightmare for any type of protected information) and also that I prefer to write all of my own work. Despite my best efforts the last part of that was still passive aggressive, lol.

Something about being a writer makes it so that it's almost offensive to me for someone to suggest I use AI to do my work instead? Like, the day I reach the point where I let AI write something for me is the day y'all need to be checking me for brain damage because clearly I'm losing it

[pixelatedraindrops]

Yuma Month: Day 23: Hand Holding

“The more I held hands with Halara…the more tired I became…”

Prompt based on yet another fic of mine.

[freezinglemur]

"Is this what you want to be?! A destructive toy to be used by others…—?"

(A semi-sequel to This Post in a sense I guess; @lieutenant-fred sorry more of your fella wasn't drawn I was strugglin to find much recent stuff to work off of so I hope this is alright </3)

[Writing below the cut]

“Why are you doing this? I haven’t even done anything to you—” Seedenal’s voice was almost pleading, yet had a sternness about it as xe gazed down at xir attacker.

“I have.. Orders..” the carrot hissed, bracing themself against the rock somewhat with a glare towards the pomegranate.

If they could even…call what was in front of it a pomegranate anymore. Seedenal had been a strange one to the augmented vegetable upon first glance: very tall, odd wing appendages, strange limbs, far more eyes than any normal fruit had on other limbs, among many other things—but now xe was even more of an anomaly.

In addition to the large pair of proper flight-worthy wings the angel dressed in green had unfurled, several more black, spindly arms had joined the original two, and their body now sported runes the carrot angel knew were not there previously.

On top of that, when Karl had attacked, several more eyes had opened upon the wings, and many of Seedenal’s scleras had turned black with glowing white pupils. One of the more frightening details was the luminous arm that formed, along with the sword seemingly held by it, from the place where the pomegranate’s previously missing arm had been. It was so bright it was hard to look at, and the energy it emitted was almost unbearable to be close to.

Several of the pomegranate angel’s eyes were dripping a black, ichor-like substance, but it didn’t appear to be from crying—rather, it dripped like sap. In fact, it seemed whatever holy power they wielded was barely being contained in the fruit’s body. Neither angel paid it too much mind in the moment, however.

“You aren’t even a lemon either, and yet you’re trying to murder me!” Seedenal knew very few details of the war that was going on in truth, but the carrot had mentioned lemons previously before they’d gotten into this tussle, so xe ran with it. 

The carrot glared as it tried to pull together some sort of retaliation, attempting to stand with metallic clanks and whirrs while the other babbled.

“Is this what you want to be?!” the pomegranate’s voice lowered slightly after its initial shout, “A destructive toy to be used by others…—?”

Karl paused its attempt to rise from the ground, staring at Seedenal. The fruit couldn’t tell entirely if the vegetable was offended by their statement or simply caught off guard, but upon hearing no comment, xe continued.

“I.. I don’t know what I am, nor.. Where I came from or what is wrong with me, but I…know I was designed to be a weapon of sorts,” the angel fidgeted with some of xir hands. “I was designed for war—to hurt and kill and all that visceral junk, but…I don’t want to be that. I w-want to see the stars and play in snow and catch butterflies and pick flowers—! I want to think and do for myself..”

Seedenal didn’t like the thought of war. It was like a petty squabble, but more violent and deadly. Leaders throwing lives at each other just to see who was better, or who got what. So many of those lives didn’t deserve such fates—xe was sure of it, just from the small few they’d met or helped in passing. They almost wanted to end the war themself, but shoved the concept away—their mind is wandering again. Shaking their head and remaining thoughts away, the pomegranate looks back to the mechanized angel, lowering xir weapon.

“Wouldn’t you…also prefer to make your own choices and live a little, too..?”

"...."

A gentle breeze blows past the two brightly colored angels in the glistening snow. One must wonder if the mechanical superweapon dreams of chasing snowflakes instead, too.

[theroyalsavage]

Hi, your writing is so beautifully expressive & lyrical! Do you pull inspiration from anywhere in particular, like in your reading? I’d love to hear about any of your favourite authors/writers/genres

hello, and thank you so much! that's so so kind of you to say!!

i'm absolutely a HUGE reader. my biggest advice to anyone who wants to improve as a writer is to read as much as you can and think about the craft/style that personally speaks to you. pull quotes you love!! make notes about character and theme and tools like foreshadowing when they're well done!!! i write/highlight in my books. don't be afraid. it's a sign of love and respect

i'll read pretty much anything i can get my hands on, but fantasy is definitely my go-to genre. i'd attribute a lot of my early writing inspo to maggie stiefvater's the raven cycle and leigh bardugo's six of crows duology. i read and loved both of those series as a teenager, when i was still very much discovering my "voice" and signature as a writer. they both have a way of constructing a sentence that just 🤌🤌🤌🤌 sticks in my brain. the dialogue in six of crows especially sings in a way that i really really adore

an abridged list of some other authors i love!!

erin morgenstern's worlds are so magical. i love love love the starless sea so much. my copy is annotated like i'm prepping for a pop quiz about it

tj klune has a way of introducing the most bonkers concept ever and then making me ache for the characters with my whole heart. under the whispering door is my fave of his, i cried like a baby

i find the unapologetic strangeness of tamsyn muir's the locked tomb series SO inspirational. her commitment to the bit is unparalleled. i read tlt and think "man i have GOT to get weirder"

also right now i think about brandon sanderson like at least 2 hours per day every day. my best friend jokes that i'm doing a phd in sanderson. tress of the emerald sea is soooo lovely and a great place to dip your toe in if you're not ready to commit to a series with an average page count in the quadruple digits

[valleydean]

unfortunately, i don't have a new destiel halloween horror fic this year, but reminder that i have an entire anthology horror fic series for you to read and get spooked by.