#swan queen top ten

[caitylove]

20 questions for fic writers

I was tagged by @holy-ships-x-red-lips! Thank you so much for the tags. You have given me a lovely way to procrastinate right now. :)

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? Only 16, but there are also fics out there on LJ that I was too lazy (or were just too bad) to find on the group events I posted on and port over. There are also some other ff.net fics on another account that I forgot about, but were from when I was in high school so totally not bringing those over either.

2. What's your total Ao3 word count? 78,839. I expect that to drastically change once I start publishing my one long wip...

3. What fandoms do you write for? Currently I mostly write Battlestar Galactica (spaceparents ftw) and some The Closer/Major Crimes (I'm a Brenda/Sharon heathen. ) But in the past I wrote for Rizzoli and Isles and Grey's Anatomy. There's also some X-files fic out there and a CSI one somewhere.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Caffeine (Rizzoli & Isles): What happens when Maura consumes an excessive amount of caffeine?

So major note this fic is literally like 12 years old. And super short. And honestly not good lol.

Break All The Rules For You (The Closer/Major Crimes): Sharon Raydor has a list of rules she lives her life by. But Brenda Leigh Johnson very might be the catalyst for her to break each and every one.

This is actually my current active posting WIP. I'm amused it got so many kudos so fast. Guess I'm not the only heathen out there. :)

Frak Me Red (Battlestar Galactica): Wanting Laura to feel good about herself, Bill finds her the perfect gift and they spend an exciting weekend away on shore leave aboard Cloud 9.

Part of my Cosmetics Series. This was a blast and like 70% pure smut.

Pain Management (Battlestar Galactica): Dealing with pain during her cancer treatments, Laura is suggested an unorthodox treatment plan.

This was actually my first fic back after a ten year writing hiatus... :) Never let anyone tell you that you can't return after a long time away.

Spray and Stay (Battlestar Galactica): Laura has a secret addiction that is slowly running out and she can't help but show off her addiction to Bill.

The first part of my Cosmetics Series. Also 50% smut. :)

5. Do you respond to comments? Absolutely. So, I work from home and like responding to them instead of working sometimes.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? So I don't have a ton of angst honestly. So I guess the ending of Auburn Sunsets, Starlit Nights (Battlestar Galactica) is the angstiest? (Or meanest?)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? So like 80% of my stuff is smut... so they all have HAPPY ENDINGS. *snicker*. But I guess I'll go with Frak Me Red ?

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not really. Probably did on some of my old FF.net stuff but don't care enough to go back and look.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes. Like thats half of what I write. :)

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? Not in a long time. But once upon a time I wrote a Grey's Anatomy Zombie fic that had a Doctor House appearance. Its somewhere on LJ. It was BAD, but I am so tempted to find it now for my own amusement.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I am aware of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope. Feel free to reach out if you want to tho.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? No, but definitely open to it.

14. What's your all time favorite ship? So probably Bill/Laura(Spaceparents) from BSG. But Also have a soft spot for Sharon/Brenda (The Closer), MSR (The X-Files), Swan Queen, Janeway/Chakotay, Femshep/Garrus, to name a few.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Love Games. My 12 year old the Closer fic I never finished. May rewrite it one day but I will never just finish it as it exists today.

16. What are your writing strengths? I like to think I do a lot of emotional introspection well. And Smut. I can do smut.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Honestly, I struggle with dialogue.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? As long as its translated or explained, I'm fine with it. Probs would never do it, cause my language skills suck, but wouldn't mind reading.

19. First fandom you wrote for? CSI! I wrote a Grissom/Sara fic back in the day. I was in like High School.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Thats like asking me my favorite children! My favorite is one I am still writing and haven't published yet, The Symposium of the Stars. One day it'll make an appearance.

But for published? I really loved Auburn Sunsets, Starlit Nights. I have a soft spot for it.

Tagging: @lavenderknivess, @mimine666, @madelineusherspearls. @ofhouseusher, @cryscal, @fracktastic, and anyone else who feels like it :)

[istumpysk]

to bad lady stoneheart will crown arya in robb’s crown leading her to be queen of the north at least sansa can enjoy her life with her two timing husband in the vale 😌

Top 10 Funniest Ship Girl Foreshadowing

10. Gendry's very important question.

He looked dubious. "Did you ever sail a boat?" "You put up the sail," she said, "and the wind pushes it." "What if the wind is blowing the wrong way?" "Then there's oars to row." - Arya II, ASOS

9. Excellent names!

I mean to use your second son as well. He will take Lady Marya across the narrow sea, to Braavos and the other Free Cities, to deliver other letters to the men who rule there. - Davos I, ACOK

x

"Just so. Your father was oarmaster on a galley. When your mother died, he took you off to sea with him. Then he died as well, and his captain had no use for you, so he put you off the ship in Braavos. And what was the name of the ship?" "Nymeria," she said at once. - Arya II, AFFC

8. Hey, what's with this Stark they keep telling us about.

That's a Brandon, the tall one with the dreamy face, he was Brandon the Shipwright, because he loved the sea. His tomb is empty. He tried to sail west across the Sunset Sea and was never seen again. - Bran VII, AGOT

x

It was Bran's turn to tell a story, so he told them about another Brandon Stark, the one called Brandon the Shipwright, who had sailed off beyond the Sunset Sea. - Bran III, ASOS

7. Arya spells it out.

Only Braavosi were permitted use of the Purple Harbor, from the Drowned Town and the Sealord's Palace; ships from her sister cities and the rest of the wide world had to use the Ragman's Harbor, a poorer, rougher, dirtier port than the Purple. It was noisier as well, as sailors and traders from half a hundred lands crowded its wharves and alleys, mingling with those who served and preyed on them. Cat liked it best of any place in Braavos. She liked the noise and the strange smells, and seeing what ships had come in on the evening tide and what ships had departed. She liked the sailors too; the boisterous Tyroshi with their booming voices and dyed whiskers; the fair-haired Lyseni, always trying to niggle down her prices; the squat, hairy sailors from the Port of Ibben, growling curses in low, raspy voices. Her favorites were the Summer Islanders, with their skins as smooth and dark as teak. They wore feathered cloaks of red and green and yellow, and the tall masts and white sails of their swan ships were magnificent. - Cat of the Canals, AFFC

6. Arya spells it out again.

Arya bit her lip. She had crossed the narrow sea to get here, but if the captain had asked she would have told him she wanted to stay aboard the Titan’s Daughter. Salty was too small to man an oar, she knew that now, but she could learn to splice ropes and reef the sails and steer a course across the great salt seas. Denyo had taken her up to the crow’s nest once, and she hadn’t been afraid at all, though the deck had seemed a tiny thing below her. I can do sums too, and keep a cabin neat. - Arya I, AFFC

5. Arya spells it out one more time. (Plus one more, because she's so generous!)

It made her think of the sea. Maybe that was the way out. Old Nan used to tell stories of boys who stowed away on trading galleys and sailed off into all kinds of adventures. Maybe Arya could do that too. - Arya V, AGOT

x

"It won’t be so bad, Sansa," Arya said. "We're going to sail on a galley. It will be an adventure - Sansa III, AGOT

4. Ned Stark makes a bizarre prediction about the future of one of his children.

"No," Ned said. He saw no use in lying to her. "Yet someday he may be the lord of a great holdfast and sit on the king's council. He might raise castles like Brandon the Builder, or sail a ship across the Sunset Sea, or enter your mother’s Faith and become the High Septon." - Eddard II, AGOT

3. An entire fandom forgets what made Nymeria famous.

He sang of Jonquil and Florian, of Prince Aemon the Dragonknight and his love for his brother's queen, of Nymeria's ten thousand ships. - Sansa VI, ACOK

x

He had not noticed that before, no more than he had noticed the picture on the tapestry, a scene of Nymeria and her ten thousand ships. - The Soiled Knight, AFFC

x

That is Nymeria's star, burning bright, and that milky band behind her, those are ten thousand ships. - The Queenmaker, AFFC

2. They could be like Nymeria, and sail beyond the Sunset Sea.

Lord Gylbert began to speak. He told of a wondrous land beyond the Sunset Sea, a land without winter or want, where death had no dominion. "Make me your king, and I shall lead you there," he cried. "We will build ten thousand ships as Nymeria once did and take sail with all our people to the land beyond the sunset. There every man shall be a king and every wife a queen." - The Drowned Man, AFFC

A marriage is arranged between Arya and Elmar. El mar. The sea.

"Also, if your sister Arya is returned to us safely, it is agreed that she will marry Lord Walder's youngest son, Elmar, when the two of them come of age." - Catelyn IX, AGOT

[talonabraxas]

Madana Gopala “God of Love” Talon Abraxas

The form of Krishna known as Madanagopala is to be found in the sculptural programme of several Vaishnava temples of the Vijayayanagara era (fourteenth to eighteenth century) in southern India and, in particular, Tamil Nadu.

Madana is sweet enchantment, the seducer of the mind, and Gopala is the youthful herder of cows. In this form, Krishna has absorbed and subsumed the qualities of the god of love and sexual passion, Manmatha or Kama. The heats of lust and infatuation have been transformed into the rich rasa of transcendental love. Madanagopala sweetly sings and plays His flute, calling all to approach this exalted disposition – entering His world of luscious, enlightened duality where manifest form is the scintillating vibration of His eternal love play.

Madanagopala may be ten- or eight-armed and is depicted standing or seated upon a hexagon. As well as His flute, He carries various implements. Starting at the deity’s top right is the solar discus or chakra, the elephant goad/hook (ankusa) and then the flower arrow. From the top left, he holds the sacred conch (sankha), the three corded noose (pasa), and the sugarcane bow (ikshukodanda). The flower bow and arrow are both implements normally carried by Kama and his consort Rati, the goddess of pleasurable sensual enjoyment. Here, however, they are depicted as devotees of the Lord and they offer a garland of wild flowers from all seasons (vanamala). The single arrow held by Madanagopala is representative of Kama’s five powerful arrows of desire, each arrow representing a unique aspect of passion: excitement (unmadana), heat (tapana), drying up (sosana), paralyzing of normal bodily functions (stambhana) and full infatuation (sammohana).

The god of sensual love, Kama, is known by various epithets – Manmatha, Kandarpa, Madana, and Mara. Here He is shown on Krishna’s right. He holds aloft his standard – the makara banner from which Kama gets the additional name of Makaradhvaja, meaning that his flag is marked with the makara. It is symbolic of potent creation and fertility. Kama’s skin colour (nupura) is red, though variant forms are green or golden yellow. His father is Vishnu. The most famous mythological episode involving Kama is his having been burnt to ashes by Siva, whose meditation Kama had sought to disturb. Kama went on to be reborn as Krishna’s son, Pradyumna. He has two consorts, Priti (delight) and Rati (pleasure).

Rati is depicted on Madanagopala’s left. She is the daughter of Daksa Prajapati and her presence is likened to the youthful unfoldment of Vasant (spring) and with it, the longing in all nature for procreation. She is exceedingly attractive and well versed in seductive arts. Her hair is piled up into an elaborate ornamental knot (kesabandha), secured with a golden band decorated with fresh spring leaves and flowers. These impressive south Indian coiffures are to be seen on the figures of queens, princesses and high-ranking temple patrons.

As a pair, Kama and Rati are carved on pillars leading to the garbha griha. Their animal vehicles (vahanas), the goose, swan or parrot, are interchangeable. Lovely forms can be seen in the 17th century marriage hall (kalyana mandapa) in Kanchipuram’s Varadaraja temple. Outstanding even in the superlative world of Vijayanagara sculptural art are the splendid examples in Sri Villiputtar’s Andal temple complex. Here Rati sits astride a goose, admiring her own reflection in a mirror held aloft in her left hand, while the right holds a kohl stick.

Seated in the center at the bottom of the painting is Vishnu’s chief vahana, Garuda. He is shown as per his description in the Vishnu-dharmottara, with a body the color of an emerald, fierce bulging eyes and an eagle beak. There are many variant forms of Garuda – in North India one does not tend to see Garuda associated with Krishna, however, in the south, it is more frequent. In Vaishnava temples, Garuda is installed in a small shrine facing the garba griha (home of the main deity), or on a high pillar within the temple compound, or just outside the main entrance, as in Puri’s celebrated Jagganath temple.

Forming a canopy over Madanagopala’s head is the lush foliage of a Kalpakataru or wish-fulfilling tree. The tree boasts many types of flowers and fruits and is perpetually in bloom. It is a feature of the god’s celestial realms. Nestled within its foliage are several kili (parrots) and a mayil (peacock). Krishna cherishes both types of bird and is said to have several as pets. Midway to Madanagopala’s right is his favorite tree, the kadamba. It bears small, globular orange/yellow flowers with a beautiful perfume. In season, the flowers are much favoured for use as garlands. Growing at the Lord’s feet are a profusion of flowering sacred tulasi, a plant considered an incarnated goddess. Tulasi leaves are used as offerings to all Vaishnava deities and its wood is favoured for use in malas for mantra sadhana.

The two brown decorative panels at the sides of the arch display kinnaras. The term kinnara translates as something like ‘what are these?’ as they are a bizarre and beautiful com-posite of various creatures, animal, human and divine. They are usually shown playing musical instruments – especially, the veena. Kinnaras have intoxicating siren-like voices, but are aus-picious in nature and loving by disposition. They are often carved in light relief on temple pillars.

Lastly, within the orange border are two decorated friezes of the Vaishnava sectarian marking or Namam. The Namam is worn on the forehead and is typically of two forms (of course, there are variants). The form depicted on the upper strip is the Vadagalai which is U-shaped. The one on the lower strip is the Tengalai which is Y or V shaped. The central stripe between the U or V is known as the Tiruchurnam and is traditionally made of a lime and saffron mix or red ocher. The meaning of the Tiruchurnam is the same as that of the bindu: the whole-ness of divinity and the point of utmost potency from which all manifests. The wearing of the Namam is a highly important preparation for all kinds of ritual action or worship within the Vaishnava fold and is considered to be sanctifying for both the wearer and observer.

[tiredly101]

I finally found my Darling, evil queen

Fandom: Once Upon a Time

Pairing: Mr. Gold x Ex Military Emma best friend Male!Reader

Timeline: Emma had a mental breakdown when Henry came to her door so Male!Reader took care of him and then drove him back to Story Brooke. Male!Reader rents a room for the night for Emma and goes exploring the town since it was early. Male!Reader meets Mr. Gold in his stroll since he got curious because of the weird store.

Warning: Male!Reader mentioned as Alexis/Felix thorough the story. Male!Reader was Rumpelstiltskin best friend but was made to fight in the Troll war and Rumple (even as the Dark One could never find him because of the evil queen). Kind of OCC Emma Swan.

Alexis looks at Emma while she walks in tiredly. He decides is a good time to bother her about a subject that needed to be mentioned eventually.

— Hey Emma, I have a question — said Alexis while Emma took off her high heels. She only hums letting him know she is listening.

— What are you going to do when that kid comes and searches for you? — asked Alexis making Emma look at him in utter shock.

— Don't look at me like that. If I was that kid I would eventually hunt you down to see why you abandoned me — Alexis says while his eyes scanned a random page in the magazine and then he heard a knock making Emma look at him.

— I order you pizza — was all Alexis said and so Emma walked up to the door and opened it.

Henry pov

I knock on the door of my biological mother and wait until she answers. She opens the door and ask who I am while a guy in the background looks at me with curiosity.

— My name is Henry Mills, I'm your son — I said making the guy walk up to the door while my mom looked utterly shocked.

— Huh, guess I can now see the future. Come on in little man — said the guy while my mom walked towards the couch. He guided me to the counter top and made me a sign to seat down.

— Since your mom, and my best friend, is having a mental break down in the moment I'm going to make you a question — the guy said making me swallow harshly out of nerves.

— Have you eaten anything? — asked the guy while he smiled kindly at me. I shaked my head no while I took out my story book so I can try and find him in it.

— Well little man, my name is Alexis. I'm your mother's best friend and Im guessing you Henry from what I've heard — Alexis said to me while he looked over my shoulder and then he just got back to cooking.

After ten minutes he serves me some pasta, I look at Alexis and he simply smiles while he gives me a fork.

— I made you my specialty, fettuccini alfredo and the pasta is homemade — Alexis said while he looked at my book. I couldn't help but smile when the smell invaded my nose and I happily digged in.

— So you like fairy tales, huh? — asked Alexis while I nodded, he made a face and nodded.

— You know I have read the actual story's that they show you in the movies — he said perking my interest and he chuckled at my reaction.

— Can you tell me about what you read? — I asked shyly making him smile.

— Sure, but if your other mom asks you didn't hear it from me — he said making me laugh and nod. He started talking about the original story of Cinderella and the little mermaid making me look at him happily. I like him.

After a while there was no pasta left. I turn around to see my mom sleeping in the couch making Alexis chuckle. He lifts my mom up and puts her in his back, makes me a sign to grab the car keys and the house alongside my stuff. He was taking me home but at least my mom, the savior, is coming with me.

In the car ride I told Alexis all about the Story Book and the curse and I could see in his eyes curiosity sparking and I knew that I had him hooked. He wasn't going to leave or let my mom leave now, I scroll through the book when he asks for direction to my mom's, the evil queen, house and I find him.

Alexis was Rumpelstiltskin best friend but they were separated during the Troll Wars. Mr. Gold was in love with him and so was he but they never told each other or got to because of The Evil Queen keeping them apart. Not surprised on that bit but even after Mr. Gold became the dark one he still searched for Alexis.

— Alright little man, we have arrived at the mansion that you call home. I'll walk you to the door — he told me making me smile and get out if the car. Alexis knocked the door and waited, after a few seconds my mom came out if the house. She look surprised at seeing me next to him and he explained everything.

— I'm so sorry for the trouble — said my mom apologetic. Alexis only said that it wasn't a problem and that I was a sweet kid. He told her that he is going to rent a room for the night and that he can talk more with her tomorrow if she liked and that made her smile and thanked him while she closed the door.

-

Rumplestiltskin pov

I hear the bells of my store chime so I grab my cane and walk to the front only to stop in my tracks when I see a guy with beautiful apple green eyes, sun kissed skin filled with freckles, beautiful curly hazel hair and familiar plump lips. I can't believe my eyes...

Felix...

I remember when he left for the Troll War, I was to scared to tell him how I felt but I still let him go. I look at him and see he now has scars; he has a scar running down one of his eye, I can see from the exposed skin from his neck that he had another one going all the way down his back. There were some littered in his arms and yet he still looked beautiful. I see that in his left hand he still had the promise ring I gave him when he left for the war.

I look at him while he looks at the pieces in the shelf with that old curiosity that always sparkled in his eyes making me smile and chuckle (like in the second gift) when he stares at a book titled "Red roses bleed" (book doesn't exist). I remember he would always read that book in our little town.

— Found something that peeked you interest? — I asked him while I walked up to him and he just smiled at me with his classic beautiful, kind smile.

— Yeah, it's a beautiful yet gruesome story the one of that book. It talks about how a god- — he started to say for me to remember him telling me this everyday so I finished his sentence.

— Falls in love with his best friend who was a commoner but at the end the villagers killed him and so the god made him a rose? — I asked him and saw how his eyes sparkled and how his cheeks softly became a color ruby while he chuckled.

— My name is Alexis — Felix, Alexis, said while I looked at him with a smile and he pulled his hand out at me.

— It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Mr. Gold — I said while I shook his hand but soon I pulled away even though his touch still lingered in my hand.

— Call me crazy, but I feel like I know you from somewhere — he told me making me smile and shake my head. I grabbed the book and handed it to him.

— Why don't we go for a cup of tea? — I asked Felix who smiled and nodded. We went to Granny's and seat down. We talked for what seemed hours.

— So what is your job? You know mine so I am curious — I said while taking a sip of my tea, I could see how his eyes held a certain saddnes to them.

— I honestly worked as a publisher, as you can tell I love my books and I loved publishing for other authors, but I was recruited to fight in war. To protect my nation and all that bureaucracy crap. I was finally able to retire a three or four years ago — Felix said making me feel anger flaring up. He is a story book character just like me which means Regina kept us apart in purpose. Speaking of the devil I could see Regina enter Granny's with Henry trailing behind her but as soon as she saw us both together she paled before smiling at Felix.

— Hey Alexis — said Regina while Henry sta next to Felix making him smile. He replied with a hello before talking with Henry who seemed to have something dangerous between his hands.

I walk towards Regina who is fixing her hair in a mirror and when she sees me, she smiles.

— Mr. Gold, what a nice surprise — she said kindly while I let a menacing smile make it's way on my face (like in the first gift).

— I finally found my Darling, evil queen... — I said while smiling at her shocked and paled expression. I turn around and walk towards Felix who was laughing angelically. Everyone was staring at him with a sort of love in their eyes when he picks up Henry and then settles him back down in the floor.

— Alright little man, the mission is absolutely crazy but alas I shall do it. Before we go and do that I'm going to ask you, would you like me to make you some homemade fettuccine alfredo? — asked Felix and in that moment everyone stared at Henry. Henry looked around and said "Only if you make enough for everyone else" making Felix smile.

Felix walked over to the counter and before he could talk Granny threw his way a cloth and nodded while opening the area so he could enter the kitchen making him smile happily.

— Alexis, what are you doing there? — asked a woman with blonde hair making Felix laugh while he kneed a pasta mass that I have no idea in what moment he made, making me smile since it was just like old times when he would cook for me and Baelfire.

— While you were snoring in our rented for the night room I got a job in this nice dinner, rented out our shared apartment in Boston, destroyed both of our keys of the apartment thanks to a nice guy that looks exactly like the Gueppeto in this book and your car is in a repair place since someone crashed into it... In conclusion you are stuck here with me — Felix said smiling while dropping a enormous amount of fideos into boiled water and put a timer for five minutes. He then started making the alfredo sauce and exclaimed "in four minutes I'm serving so start lining up" making everyone grab a plate.

Emma left a sight escape her lips while she looked at Felix with a seemingly pout.

— Why..? — she squeaked out making Felix smile gracefully.

— Because you have a kid whom you need to bond with and I'm not letting you make this adorable thing into a sociopath because you traumatized him by abandoning him — Felix said while ruffling Henry's hair with a smile so bright it seemed to shine brighter than the lights in the dinner.

— The pasta is ready! — exclaimed Felix before making brief eye contact with me while smiling. I couldn't help but notice the slight red dust brushing his cheeks before he started serving the pasta to the people in the counter.

-

Felix walks up to me with a plate of pasta and smiles while he sits down next to me.

— I was able to save you some Goldie — said Felix while smiling cheekily at me making me chuckle.

— Goldie? — I asked making him blush slightly while he chuckled. He simply said a soft "Yeah, that is you" making me smile yet again. We sat there is silence until I looked at him making eye contact. I could feel actual sparks around us and he was starting to blush a crimson red making me smile. I grab his face and lean slowly. My eyes are focused in his plump lips who fitted perfectly with mine, like a puzzle, when I finally arrived at his lips. After I while we pulled apart and I ask him what I should have asked before he ever went to the Troll Wars.

— Well darling, would you like to go with me on date? — I ask while he nodded shyly. Oh, how I missed him...

(longest fic yet)

[ataraxiaspainting]

What's your music taste? c:

my music taste is all over the place to be honest. i can't listen to any music while i'm working because i'll just bop my head all over the place, but i listen to music everywhere else. it feels like i'm in a music video which can help me on days i feel kinda less than.

i often listen to classic/classical music and also indie(?) music! lana del rey, mitski, mozart, elvis presley, jimi hendrix, and tchaikovsky are my favorites in those genres! swan lake will always hold a place in my heart especially.

i also listen to a whole bunch of k-pop and j-pop when i'm trying to clean and stuff. dancing to the beat while mopping is a vibe i'll stick with until the day i die. i like le sserafim and twice especially, but since getting more into j-pop i've also been into aqours and bandori covers.

my mom and older sister rope me a lot into their music tastes, so i've experienced screamo metal and 80s rock coming up right after the nutcracker's waltz of the flowers far too many times. yungblud, bring me the horizon, ac/dc, pink floyd, queen, and aerosmith sneak their way into my head every time i put my headphones on. i have brought honor to my emo family with the playlists but not my fashion sense.

like you can clearly see who's the odd one out, but to other people i look like a basic average girl who puts cute dresses on even when it's thunderstorming outside.

other bands/singers i like include: the weeknd, doja cat, dua lipa, rina sawayama, tame impala, studio killers (top fav!!!), kendrick lamar (he's so iconic...), SZA, chappell roan, kesha, aliyah's interlude, madison beer, tyler, the creator, and gorillaz. the nier osts, hunter x hunter osts, and kenshi yonezu also live in my head rent free.

my top ten songs right now would be: (i'm not adding mitski because it would be all her, sorry) (i'm also not adding any classical music because i may as well be a 18th century ballet going noblewoman in that case)

joyride by kesha

femininomenon by chappell roan

slumber party by ashnikko (feat. princess nokia)

lie by bts

super tuna by jin

pink pony club by chappell roan (that phantom of the opera edit <3)

new jeans by new jeans

lust for a vampyr by i monster

i disagree by poppy

my kink is karma by chappell roan

[lestcat-de-lioncourt]

Hi, again! (Oh, is Lestat one of your top fav characters, now?)

If you don't mind, can I ask your top 10 favorite characters from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series, games, etc)? And why do you love them all? Sorry if you've answered this question before. Thanks if you want to answer (whenever you have some free time, of course)....

Currently I've made this blog more that theme, I've liked the Vampire Chronicles and Lestat since I discovered them about 13-14 through reading the Morganville Vampires, he has been a favourite character for a very long time, outside of manga. My sons middle name is Myrnin as I found him first, and then the Queen of the Damned adaption because someone posted Lestat as what Myrnin looks like. My gaming tag has often been tied to these two separate characters since I can remember, and I used to go by Myrnin, and a big chunk of my wardrobe is "Lestat themed" for the past decade, but it wasn't related to my love of manga, which is what this blog became. It's close to my heart and makes sense to me.

So, not necessarily "now," to answer that part of the question, but as blog on here can be, they can vary which fandom the person is currently using them for, if not multiple fandoms. And I'm, of course, excited for the new adaptions of IWTV currently airing.

I relate to Lestat a lot. It makes sense,

Like I relate to Tomoe and Richard as well, which is what I've done in the past on here.

Top favourite characters (I have many, but I'll try to pick some particularly special ones)

In no order:

Lestat de Lioncourt - The Vampire Chronicles

Myrnin - Morganville Vampires

Richard Plantagenet - Requiem of the Rose King

Tomoe - Kamisama Kiss

Philippe, Duke of Orléans - Versailles, la serie

Howl Pendragon/Jenkins - Howl's Moving Castle

Sweeney Todd - Sweeney Todd

Frank n Furter - Rocky Horror Picture Show

Jack Sparrow - Pirates of the Caribbean

Mito Minato - Therapy Game

2 extra sorryyy

Kanata (Black Swan) - A Kiss For Each Face

Shirotani - Ten Count

[themiddleofwonderland]

My favorite k-pop videos

This list is likely to change depending on what day I'm posting it, but I just rewatched #1 on this list three times in a row and felt like making a list.

1. It's You - ATEEZ (Yeosang, San, Wooyoung) - this video makes me absolutely feral. The song was already my favorite on the album and then they went and released this?!?! It's so hot?! So Sexy!?!! I have an irrational fear that KQ will take it away because it's too perfect and sexy and wonderful and we don't deserve it. I was a Wooyoung/Seonghwa bias beforehand but now it's a four-way tie because holy shit have you seen them???

2. BTBT - B.I (Performance Ver.) - This was the first non-BTS video I became obsessed with, again after falling in love with the song and overplaying it (it was my top-played song of 2022). The dance is amazing, the way they flow, and it's such a simple video (the official video has cool cyberpunk vibes) but it works. This is the only video I've ever watched derivative videos for (dance covers, reactions) because I just can't get enough of it. (gif from the official vid bc the performance vid is criminally under-giffed)

3. Black Swan - BTS - Again, another one where the song got me first. The aesthetic of this video is just so good. I mean, the corsets speak for themselves, but I love how Jimin's amazing dancing gets such a highlight, the backdrops for Yoongi's meaningful verse, how good they all look. The dancing is great, the setting is beautiful, I can rewatch this ten times in a row and still want to watch it again.

4. Move - Taemin - Soooo good. Taemin is considered one of the best dancers in k-pop and he is showing you exactly why in this video. I love him embracing his androgyny here, with the more feminine dance moves and outfit silhouettes. The song is one of my favorites of all time and the video does it complete justice.

5. Rover - Kai - Hot hot hot. Kai. Shirtless. Blond. Those sunglasses?! I didn't like the dance much at first but it has really grown on me over time. Also, apparently this song is a cover/remake?

6. Super - Seventeen - You know, I can't figure out why I love this video so much. Like it's super basic as a concept - just all of them and a whole heap of dancers in one scene. But it works. As soon as they revealed Woozi being held up like he's on a throne with his little smirk, I knew I was done. The dance is so fun and I never get tired of watching this one.

7. Daechwita - Agust D - It's hard to decide between this and Haegeum, but this is the one that starts the story and my Agust D obsession, so obviously I had to choose it. I love the concept and how he lays out the Agust D story in just one mv. Royal Gangster Yoongi is just hnnng. I love the power here.

8. God's Menu - Stray Kids - This one is just super fun. I love all the different outfits - and like, Han in the chef's outfit is top-tier Han, he looks so hot.

9. Shalala - Taeyong - This is one of the most fun music videos I've ever seen. I love all of the different versions of Taeyong and he's the only idol I've seen pull off that shade of lime-green hair. The macarena dance should not work at all and yet it does.

10. Hip - Mamamoo - They slaaayyy in this video. I'm so obsessed with Queen Hwasa literally spitting on her haters. Moonbyul is amazing as always, I love how they have her in various roles that are typically male "anything you can do, I can do better" vibes. Also I really want to dye my hair the same shade as Whee-In's in this video.

11. Don't Call Me - Shinee - I call this the 'weird hat video'. Their hats are ridiculous. And you can tell Minho is really feeling it, just look at the gif. I love it.

[queer-boo-radley]

Super long kinky Swan Queen fic that I will never be able to write because I suck at writing shared perspectives.

Right so Regina is a 35 nightclub owner who was basically sold to Leopold for marriage by her mother at seventeen after her father's death. After a VERY unhappy, abusive ten-year marriage where she tried her damndest to be the kind of woman she was supposed to be, and suffered a handful of miscarriages at his hand, he then divorced her for a younger model. Jokes on him though because less than a week after the divorce was finalized, Cora died unexpectedly, leaving Regina millions upon millions of dollars.

After a brief mental breakdown, she takes her new lease on life for everything it's worth and buys the seedy little BDSM bar that she's been sneaking away to for the last three years of her marriage to drink her sorrows away in. From there she buys a country-themed nightclub that's gone out of business and converts it into a large BDSM nightclub. When we meet Regina in the story, she is about to open up her third property and the proverbial jewel on her crown, the largest BDSM venue in the world.

But, while she's achieved success in that aspect of her life, it definitely has not been all sunshine and roses for her. She wants a deep ageplay/sugar momma kind of relationship and thought she had found that with Robyn, but what Robyn really was, was a gold digger willing to fake a baby voice to make bank. She put Regina through the ringer for a few years, just straight up using her for her money until Ruby, Snow, and Belle, who is Regina's best friend, finally get her to realize and accept that Robyn doesn't love her, just her money.

Now, Regina met Belle after she had bought the first bar. Belle was with Rumple before that in a very toxic, dangerous BDSM relationship, and Regina helped her to get out of it and then took her in. Belle went on to start an advocacy group for abuse victims in the BDSM community funded by Regina.

Ruby and Snow, who are cousins, show up at the club one night, bolt past David, who is Regina's head of security, and manage to make their way back to Regina's office with two flyers in hand to ask her if she'll let them hand them out at both of her places. One, is a wanted poster with Ingrid's face on it, and the other is a missing poster with Emma's. Regina is immediately spellbound by the image of a then eighteen year old Emma and tells them that not only can they hand out the flyers, but she and Belle will help them to look for Emma. Both Ruby and Snow move in with her and Belle and she gives them jobs at her club, on top of paying for them to fly to different cities to look for Emma at least once a month.

So Emma's back story. She grew up in the system, and it was extremely chaotic and traumatic, but there was one shiny spot in the middle of it all. When she was fifteen, she meets Ruby and Snow at school, defending Snow from a bunch of bullies, which immediately earns Ruby's unwavering loyalty. Unfortunately, the group home she's living in at the time is horrible as fuck and she ends up running away. On the streets she meets Neal and ends up in prison because of him like in the show but with no pregnancy. After she gets out she happens to run into Snow by chance on the street and Snow drags her home with her digging her heels in and saying she can't take their charity the whole way. Granny gives her a job at the diner and for a while things are looking up for her until she meets Killian and he abuses her within an inch of her life. Thankfully Ruby and Snow are able to get her out of that relationship, but they're not prepared for Ingrid who is a straight up sociopath. It's an ageplay relationship but Ingrid has zero interest in actually taking care of Emma, just controlling her and using her and eventually ends up kidnapping Emma at gunpoint when she tries to leave her.

When Ruby and Snow walk into Regina's club with the missing poster, Emma has already been missing for six months and it's another year more before they finally "find her". Emma, who has been running and hiding from Ingrid for six months at that point, walks into the club, sits down at the bar, and orders a soda to drink while she stares longingly at the roped-off Little area. Regina spots her almost immediately and goes over to hit on her basically, not realizing who she is, and then suddenly it dawns on her why she looks so familiar. She asks Emma to wait there for just a moment and then books it to go grab Ruby and Snow and drag them over.

Que dramatic emotional reunion and the beginning of the story. Which I have a lot of plot for, but no real ending.

Edit: Aaaaaaaaand I'm gonna work on this for a while after all.

[kanerallels]

Okay, I'm vibing at home procrastinating from writing so now's as good a time as any for this post that I owe @starbirdrising!

Behold: My Top Ten Fantasy Books/Series For When You Need Something With Magic And Kingdoms And Good Vs. Evil With Good Winning And Fun Adventures And Probably Dragons So Basically You Want To Read Narnia But Something New Would Be Fun:

"Valiant", by Sarah McGuire. I will recommend this book for as long as it takes the larger part of my followers to read it. It's a fantasy fairy tale retelling of "The Valiant Little Tailor", which is in the gray area between well known and "wait that's a real fairy tale??" where The Seven Swans and King Thrushbeard resides. The general plot is this girl moving to a new city with her dad, but due to unforseen circumstances she has to pretend to be a tailor to make a living. And then giants show up. And she accidentally gets involved. There is a bit of romance, but it's really, really good. Also the writing style is IMMACULATE and there's adoption. (this is one of the only single books on the list, the rest are series)

"The Dragon With A Chocolate Heart", by Stephanie Burgis. First of all, I should have asked for this for my birthday. Second of all, this is about a dragon who gets turned into a human. By a food mage. Have you heard of a food mage before? No, you haven't, but they're amazing. Especially when it comes to chocolate. So, said dragon sets off to seek her fortune as a chocolatier! Super fun platonic relationships, and there are DRAGONS

"The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making", by Catherynne M. Valente. How can you turn away from an incredibly cool name like that?? This is your classic portal fantasy-- girl travels by leapord to Fairyland, gets up to trouble with a Wyverary, and has to face off with an evil Marquess! Also it's a series, and the prose is freaking STUNNING. I reread the last one recently, and there was crying

"The Green Ember", by S.D. Smith. My sister just called this series "this generation's Narnia" and WOW is she right. The journey of two young rabbits as they discover their heritage and the war to save their world-- it's beautiful!! And also really funny

"Magic Marks The Spot", by Caroline Carlson. This one has PIRATES. It's about a navy admiral's rebellious daughter, who takes off to become a pirate instead of going to finishing school. It's funny and delightful and just such a good read!

"Breadcrumbs," by Anne Ursu. This rec is accompanied with a story, because I said so. So, when I used to actually have time and go to the library every week, I would always see this book. EVERY. TIME. It was weird. I ignored it for the longest time-- until finally one day I decided "may as well give it a shot" and brought it home with me. And HOLY HECK was it good. A retelling of The Snow Queen, this book is about friendship. And growing up. And it made me cry. And I love it.

"Storybound", by Marissa Burt. This one is a duology, and they're both amazing! The first one tells the story of Una, a girl who winds up in the world where stories come from. The sequel continues her adventures, and also introduces a character who I love so so much. He's so funny and carefree. Until he's not in which case holy SPADES IS HE COOL. Also I'm suddenly realizing this book may have inspired more of my WIP than I thought. I digress

"The Search For WondLa", by Tony DiTerlizzi. This is actually not fantasy. It is, in fact, sci-fi! It's about a girl who lives in an underground home with her robot caretaker. When their home is attacked, the girl escapes to discover that the Earth she thinks she was raised on isn't Earth after all-- it's another world entirely. It's got AMAZING found family, super cool world building, and it's just so fun!!

"Tuesdays At The Castle", by Jessica Day George. Okay it's been a while, so I don't remember the exact premise of this one. But as I recall, it's about a royal family who lives in a magical castle that can shift rooms and grow new parts as well! When the royal siblings' are under threat from foreign enemies, they have to work with the castle to protect each other. Super wholesome family vibes, and the series is really fun in general!

"Wizard For Hire", by Obert Skye. I could not tell you if or if not this is fantasy. But I can tell you that it's set in modern day, and it's about a boy who lived on his own from a young age after his parents disappeared. And one day, he finds an ad in the paper for a wizard, and hires him to find his parents. Shenanigans ensue (as well as really funny catchphrases and a lot of breakfast food. No one is surprised that I love this trilogy)

Well, that's all the room I have for now! This post was super fun to make-- I might make another bizarrely specific one like it someday! For now, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy some of these book recs

[obstinatecondolement]

Spinning a little again after a long hiatus has reawakened my desire to do my plan for an extremely laborous cosplay of the prince from The Wild Swans who only partially transformed back into a human.

The story is basically that a king had a daughter and several (the number varies) sons and his evil new wife who learned witchcraft from her mother gets jealous of them and turns the princes into swans (you know how stepmothers are) and banishes the princess after making her Unrecognisable by ripping her dress and dirtying her face and hair.

The princess finds her brothers (and sometimes some fairies) and learns that she can turn them back into humans if she had makes them shirts that are knit from yarn that she spins out out of stinging nettles (sometimes within a time frame of a certain number of years). One of the conditions of this magic is that she has to remain under a vow of silence or her brothers will die(/remain swans forever).

At some point she gets married to a king from Some Other Kingdom who takes a fancy to her, whose own evil mother (who is sometimes an archbishop, presumably to switch up the evil mothers theme a bit) tries to have her burned as a witch (her husband goes along with this because the queen hides each of her children after she gives birth and claims that she commited infanticide in some versions, but in others he's just kind of a pushover) because she doesn't talk and keeps going into the graveyard at night to get nettles. The princess keeps knitting as long as she can and then her brothers come to rescue her as she's on the pyre and she throws the shirts over them and they turn back into humans. The youngest prince still has a wing for an arm though, because she hadn't finished the last sleeve.

So my very good plan, which is not at all overambitious to the point of stupidity, is to spin ramie (nettle fibre) into yarn and design and knit a one-armed sweater (possibly with a lace feather pattern on parts of it?) and make a single wing After Some Fashion (but probably modeled closely on this tutorial and... idk. Wear some poofy trousers and a crown. I haven't thought the non-sweater and wing elements out very fully.

The ramie top I have is bleached, so I want to dye it green. I think I will probably dye the fibre or yarn and almost certainly not piece or garment dye it, because if I spun all the yarn and knit the whole thing and then ruined it that would be Rather Sad. I kinda do want to naturally dye it, but natural dyeing can be a little unpredictable and apparently green can be a little tricky to do anyway and cellulose fibres are harder to dye than protein fibre, so I may just use a fibre reactive dye like Dylon and use less of it than they recommend for the amount of fibre, so that I don't get the full depth of shade and it's a bit faded and more... idk "natural" looking.

Re: dyeing though, I want to imitate the colour of nettles, even though a completely "accurate" version of what a shirt that the princess in the story would have knit would look like would probably be a sort of brown, because her yarn was undyed nettle fibre. Also, I do not think she was messing around with lace patterns, given that she was on the clock on this. Of course, maybe she too overcomplicated things and was merrily designing lace patterns for the first four years and then got a bit crunched for time towards the end. Explains why she had to keep going back to the graveyard for nettles too: she didn't process enough nettles into fibre at the start of the project and then she kept losing yarn chicken as she was knitting and had to go back to step one. These princesses, they can be a little inefficient! But in her defense, she was under a lot of stress.

Also, having now written this out, this is all kind of Gender (nettle shirt as transition metaphor) and I am simultaneously the prince with the wing and the princess who is trying to save him. Somehow after having had this vague plan for a cosplay for... maybe ten years, I think that this is the first time I am coming to this realisation.

[hummingbirdsaltimolockia]

another breeze by review of 2023 in books/movies/tv and one play

Books:

the beatryce prophecy - 3/5 v beautiful read. kate dicamillo has my heart

the summer of the swans - 3/5 really liked the dialogue in this, and I like the idea of like. a book in real time

ender’s game - 4/5 a very chewy read. more unsettling than I anticipated

the seven dials mystery - 3/5 a little disappointing in the climax

frankenstein - 5/5 so much better and so different from what I'd been led to believe by popular media. I'm a frankenstein snob now

the phantom of the opera - 5/5 also very different from popular understanding, and much more interesting. I'd really love there to be a faithful mini series adaption

the turn of the screw - 2/5 v longwinded and wordy, and a bit of a let down in the fright department

maus - 5/5 harrowing

lang fairy books (green, grey, crimson) - 3/5 enjoyable but got a bit repetitive after a while. I listened to these from many different readers, so that added to the experience

marlene - 4/5 really liked how frank she was, not only with herself but others too

a dark night’s work - 2/5 too much description, not enough dialogue, and took too long to get to the Event. kinda a drag tbh

the flying girl - 5/5 completely loved this. worth it just for chapter nine

the cruel painter - 3/5 unsettling and unintentionally hilarious

the water dancer - 4/5 beautifully written and v interesting story but kind of odd pacing

the thief - 4/5 already did a whole liveblog on this series so yeah. really enjoyed the myth story telling in this

the queen of attolia - 5/5 wild from start to finish. gen is insane. "I can steal the magus" gen that's just kidnapping sit down

the king of attolia - 5/5 probably my favorite of the series. really liked seeing an outside perspective to the consequences of qoa

tea with the black dragon - 2/5 v disappointing. the guy didn't even turn into a dragon at the end

the fall of the house of usher - 3/5 v atmospheric and unsettling

the sittin’ up - 3/5 lots of fun characters

a conspiracy of kings - 4/5 the pov changes was a interesting choice

true grit - 5/5 v engaging read even though I knew the story already

thick as thieves - 4/5 a little slow, and I would've been angrier longer at the end if I were costis

the house on mango street - 5/5 unexpected gut punch

return of the thief - 5/5 such a satisfying ending,

my sister lives on the mantelpiece - 4/5 borrowed from libby on a whim, and it turned out to be incredibly sad, and I did tear up at least four times

the thanksgiving play - 3/5 only listened to the audio adaption so it wasn't the true experience but. wild

old souls - 3/5 really went to a different place than I was expected. liked the art style but kinda a chewy read too

Film/tv

the last of us (s1) - 5/5 went into this knowing almost nothing about it and really enjoyed experiencing it

the mandalorian (s3) - 3/5 been so long since I watched it I kinda don't remember what happened but at least they got mandalore back. yay

mad max fury road - 5/5 knew it was good, didn't know it was gonna be that good. easily one of my top movies now

shrek 2, 3, and 4 - 4/5 overall, the all made me laugh

kung fu panda 3 - 5/5 the most beautiful one I think?

the sixth sense - 5/5 knew the twist going in but still incredibly well made movie

the others - 4/5 really enjoyed the double twist. gave me chills

the phantom of the opera - 3/5 really weird editing

black adam - 3/5 had a very different vibe from other superhero movies

instant family - 3/5

oh my ghost - 3/5 the only time I've cared about characters having sex

exclusive fairy tale - 3/5 could've used a murder ngl

gifted - 4/5 much deeper than I expected

the quiet girl - 4/5 really got to me in the last ten seconds

high seas (s1-3) - 3/5 liked the sister relationship, esp in s1, but s2 was too dramatic, and s3 was completely unnecessary

shutter island - 3/5 also knew the twist going in but it got worse. v interesting visuals and atmosphere

tom jones - 3/5 I would've made tom wait a year

mission impossible: rouge nation - 3/5 kind of a slow burner ending

mission impossible: fallout - 3/5 they were a little Too smart in this, but really enjoyed the final act

mission impossible: dead reckoning part i - 5/5 actually really enjoyed all of it

beef - 3/5 absolutely wild show. really well acted tho

the bourne legacy - 2/5 unnecessary and kinda weird

jason bourne - 2/5 jason bourne should not be using an smartphone. also had to step away after they ****** *****

man on fire - 3/5

only murders in the building (s3) - 4/5 really enjoyed everyone in this season

once upon a time (s3-s5ish) - 3/5 everyone is so Dramatic and Serious about everything but it's actually very silly

titanic - 5/5 actually a really good movie?? who knew

fair play - 2/5 watched this to see something bad happen and you know what. it did

practical magic - 3/5 darker than I expected. gave me tonal whiplash

one royal holiday - 2/5 enjoyed watching aaron tveit doing an ?? accent

sweeny todd - 3/5 helena bonham carter. carried this tbh. also they didn't have to do johanna like that

the christmas bow - 4/5 genuinely enjoyed this?? would actually watch again

home alone - 3/5 wild.

my happy marriage - 4/5 surprisingly really enjoyed this. I liked how understated the romance was

last holiday - 3/5 a really sweet movie actually

it’s time for him to come home for christmas - 3/5 actually really sad in some parts. and there was actually chemistry between the leads so it bearable to watch

the boy and the heron - 4/5 really bizarre but in cool fantastically way that I could really get into. somehow more beautiful than other ghibli movies. will need to watch again

the little mermaid (2023) - 4/5 liked this more than I thought I would. but disney really thought that we (me) wouldn't notice that they used two different horses interchangeably in the same scene??

polite society - 4/5 amazing leading lady. super enjoyable watch, no notes

attack on titan finale - 3/5 thank GOD this is finally over. zeke's death was really unsatisfying to me tbh but at least he died. and I wish armin had gone harder on eren on his bullshit bc good lord was he stupid. it sucks that the end is the weakest part of the story but at least it's over and levi was there. amazing animation tho

across the spiderverse - 5/5 actually amazing?? does anyone know this??

[haydcns]

 samantha   logan.     she/her.     cis  woman.      ›     spotted   at   the   met   steps   ,   HAYDEN   SULLIVAN   ,   most   likely   listening   to   swan   song   by   niki   +   saweetie   with   their   airpods   pro   .   the   twenty-four   year   old   gained   quite   a   reputation   ,   known   to   be   -taciturn   yet   +dextrous   to   anyone   who   knows   them   .   you'll   easily   spot   them   when   you   hear   about   the   feeling  of  reassurance   when   a   bow   and   arrow  are   in   hand   ,   collecting   and   restoring   first   edition   books   ,   ambient   noise   in   a   coffee   shop   ,   followed   by   their   aqua   di   gioia   by   armani   beauty   .   latest   nepoupdates   article   talks   about   retirement   announcement   soon   ?   hayden   sullivan   spotted   walking   out   of   a   lecture   hall   instead   of   training   at   columbia   ,   but   i   guess   any   reputation   is   good   reputation   .

[  !  ]  WANTED  CONNECTIONS.

[  !  ]  ESTABLISHED  CONNECTIONS.

penned  by  HECATE  (  she/her  ,  pst  ,  21+  )

OVERVIEW .

STATS  PAGE .

FULL NAME: hayden vera sullivan

NICKNAME(S) / ALIASES: hay , hadie , den , denny

DOB: 03/18/1999

AGE: 24

HEIGHT: 5′6″

ZODIAC: pisces

GENDER: cis woman

PRONOUNS: she/her/hers

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: biromantic

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: bisexual

LANGUAGES: english , spanish , french , latin , italian

AESTHETICS:  the  feeling  of  reassurance  when  a  bow  and  arrow  are  in  hand  ,  collecting  and  restoring  first  edition  books  ,  ambient  noise  in  a  coffee  shop  ,  spontaneous  visits  to  museums  ,  oversized  cardigans  ,  color-coded  book  annotations  ,  yelling  at  espn  as  if  they  can  hear  you

CHARACTER  PARALLELS:  allison  argent  (  teen  wolf  )  ,  jesper  fahey  (  six  of  crows  )  ,  darcy  lewis  (  mcu  )  ,  gabrielle  kinney  (  marvel  comics  )  ,  oliver  queen  (  dc  comics  )

BACKGROUND .

born  the  youngest  in  washington  d.c.  to  a  legacy  spanning  back  generations  with  the  sullivans  tied  to  royalty  and  the  munroes  heavily  tied  to  politics  .  her  father  is  an  archaeology  professor  and  her  mother  ?  a  financial  reporter  .  unfortunately  ,  being  the  youngest  meant  that  she  wasn’t  doted  on  a  lot  by  her  parents  .  with  two  older  siblings  ,  she  suddenly  became  their  responsibility  .  they  were  the  ones  babysitting  while  their  parents  were  at  work  .  and  when  they  couldn’t  ,  hayden  was  often  in  the  care  of  her  grandparents  .

just  after  her  mother  lands  a  new  gig  as  a  financial  reporter  for  cnn  and  an  assistant  professor  position  at  columbia  ,  the  family  relocates  to  new  york  when  hayden  is  four  .  she’s  only  eight  when  her  family  discovers  her  penchant  for  archery  .  she’s  gifted  .  a  prodigy  ,  one  of  her  coaches  said  .  it  was  only  a  matter  of  time  since  her  older  siblings  each  had  something  they  were  gifted  in  .  since  that  discovery  ,  her  focus  starts  to  heavily  shift  to  archery  .  she  continues  training  and  by  nine  ,  she  starts  competing  in  archery  tournaments  .  she’s  ten  when  she  makes  it  to  the  junior  olympics  and  continues  making  it  until  she’s  scouted  .

her  life  hasn’t  always  been  calm  .  she’s  hit  with  news  of  her  parents  divorce  in  her  final  year  of  high  school  .  right  before  she  finds  out  she  qualifies  for  the  olympics  .  hayden  is  now  on  the  road  to  the  olympics  .  no  time  to  process  the  divorce  .  she  medals  at  the  2016  olympics  and  she  couldn’t  be  more  proud  of  herself  .  

 hayden  is  thrust  back  into  reality  when  she  gets  back  from  rio  .  coming  down  from  the  high  of  medaling  silver  at  the  olympics  ,  hayden  starts  to  focus  more  on  school  whilst  still  juggling  her  training  .  reality  really  comes  crashing  down  when  her  father  breaks  the  news  that  he’s  seeing  someone  .

she  makes  her  reappearance  at  the  2020  olympics  ,  placing  gold  . after  the  2020  olympics  ,  hayden  is  back  in  new  york  to  finish  up  her  final  year  of  college  .  unfortuantely  during  training  ,  she  suffers  from  an  injury  .  nothing  major  but  also  not  minor  .  most  definitely  hidden  from  the  press  .  nothing  better  than  news  of  an  impending  wedding  to  top  it  off  too  !  the  sets  her  training  back  and  makes  her  realize  that  she  needs  to  have  a  backup  plan  .  so  what  does  she  do  ?  she  doesn't  decide  to  retire  from  the  sport  she  loves  but  she  decide  to  obtain  her  masters  in  art  history  and  further  her  experience  in  art  conservation  .  

PERSONALITY .

 despite  spending  her  formative  years  training  ,  she’s  not  socially  stunted  .  hayden’s  social  ,  enthusiastic  ,  charming  and  independent  .  however  ,  she  can  come  off  as  a  little  scattered  .  her  attention  tends  to  shift  when  she  gets  bored  with  her  surroundings  .  it’s  not  done  intentionally  though  !  hayden  can  be  seen  as  a  bit  of  a  jock  given  how  she  initially  presents  herself  to  others  .  she  tends  to  thrive  in  settings  with  spontaneity  ,  knowing  that  she  can  get  bored  by  details  and  repetition  .  ironic  given  the  fact  that  she’s  training  in  a  sport  that  requires  precision  and  detail  .  regardless  ,  others  see  her  as  talkative  .  easily  connecting  with  people  with  warmth  and  enthusiasm  .

HEADCANONS .

this  section  is  a  wip  and  will  be  updated  when  i  think  of  more  things  !  <3

the  sullivan  family  comes  from  a  lineage  of  dukes/duchesses  

the  munroe  family  is  a  family  heavily  rooted  in  american  politics  (  senators  ,  governors  ,  think  vanderbilts  in  og  gossip  girl  )

her  father  and  step-mother  recently  got  married  making  her  and  henri  step-siblings

graduated  from  nyu  with  a  degree  in  chemistry  with  a  minor  in  art  history

currently  roped  in  as  an  archery  advisor  for  season  two  of  hawkeye  (  and  yes  henri  absolutely  does  NOT  like  it  )

collects  and  restores  first  edition  /  rare  collectable  books  as  a  hobby

has  a  white  labrador  retriever  named  thor  that’s  basically  her  bff

recently  just  finished  her  graduate  internship  at  the  met  and  is  looking  to  eventually  apply  for  the  graduate  internship  in  objects  conservation

[talonabraxas]

Madana Gopala “God of Love” by Narasimha

The form of Krishna known as Madanagopala is to be found in the sculptural programme of several Vaishnava temples of the Vijayayanagara era (fourteenth to eighteenth century) in southern India and, in particular, Tamil Nadu.

Madana is sweet enchantment, the seducer of the mind, and Gopala is the youthful herder of cows. In this form, Krishna has absorbed and subsumed the qualities of the god of love and sexual passion, Manmatha or Kama. The heats of lust and infatuation have been transformed into the rich rasa of transcendental love. Madanagopala sweetly sings and plays His flute, calling all to approach this exalted disposition – entering His world of luscious, enlightened duality where manifest form is the scintillating vibration of His eternal love play.

Madanagopala may be ten- or eight-armed and is depicted standing or seated upon a hexagon. As well as His flute, He carries various implements. Starting at the deity’s top right is the solar discus or chakra, the elephant goad/hook (ankusa) and then the flower arrow. From the top left, he holds the sacred conch (sankha), the three corded noose (pasa), and the sugarcane bow (ikshukodanda). The flower bow and arrow are both implements normally carried by Kama and his consort Rati, the goddess of pleasurable sensual enjoyment. Here, however, they are depicted as devotees of the Lord and they offer a garland of wild flowers from all seasons (vanamala). The single arrow held by Madanagopala is representative of Kama’s five powerful arrows of desire, each arrow representing a unique aspect of passion: excitement (unmadana), heat (tapana), drying up (sosana), paralyzing of normal bodily functions (stambhana) and full infatuation (sammohana).

The god of sensual love, Kama, is known by various epithets – Manmatha, Kandarpa, Madana, and Mara. Here He is shown on Krishna’s right. He holds aloft his standard – the makara banner from which Kama gets the additional name of Makaradhvaja, meaning that his flag is marked with the makara. It is symbolic of potent creation and fertility. Kama’s skin colour (nupura) is red, though variant forms are green or golden yellow. His father is Vishnu. The most famous mythological episode involving Kama is his having been burnt to ashes by Siva, whose meditation Kama had sought to disturb. Kama went on to be reborn as Krishna’s son, Pradyumna. He has two consorts, Priti (delight) and Rati (pleasure).

Rati is depicted on Madanagopala’s left. She is the daughter of Daksa Prajapati and her presence is likened to the youthful unfoldment of Vasant (spring) and with it, the longing in all nature for procreation. She is exceedingly attractive and well versed in seductive arts. Her hair is piled up into an elaborate ornamental knot (kesabandha), secured with a golden band decorated with fresh spring leaves and flowers. These impressive south Indian coiffures are to be seen on the figures of queens, princesses and high-ranking temple patrons.

As a pair, Kama and Rati are carved on pillars leading to the garbha griha. Their animal vehicles (vahanas), the goose, swan or parrot, are interchangeable. Lovely forms can be seen in the 17th century marriage hall (kalyana mandapa) in Kanchipuram’s Varadaraja temple. Outstanding even in the superlative world of Vijayanagara sculptural art are the splendid examples in Sri Villiputtar’s Andal temple complex. Here Rati sits astride a goose, admiring her own reflection in a mirror held aloft in her left hand, while the right holds a kohl stick.

Seated in the center at the bottom of the painting is Vishnu’s chief vahana, Garuda. He is shown as per his description in the Vishnu-dharmottara, with a body the color of an emerald, fierce bulging eyes and an eagle beak. There are many variant forms of Garuda – in North India one does not tend to see Garuda associated with Krishna, however, in the south, it is more frequent. In Vaishnava temples, Garuda is installed in a small shrine facing the garba griha (home of the main deity), or on a high pillar within the temple compound, or just outside the main entrance, as in Puri’s celebrated Jagganath temple.

Forming a canopy over Madanagopala’s head is the lush foliage of a Kalpakataru or wish-fulfilling tree. The tree boasts many types of flowers and fruits and is perpetually in bloom. It is a feature of the god’s celestial realms. Nestled within its foliage are several kili (parrots) and a mayil (peacock). Krishna cherishes both types of bird and is said to have several as pets. Midway to Madanagopala’s right is his favorite tree, the kadamba. It bears small, globular orange/yellow flowers with a beautiful perfume. In season, the flowers are much favoured for use as garlands. Growing at the Lord’s feet are a profusion of flowering sacred tulasi, a plant considered an incarnated goddess. Tulasi leaves are used as offerings to all Vaishnava deities and its wood is favoured for use in malas for mantra sadhana.

The two brown decorative panels at the sides of the arch display kinnaras. The term kinnara translates as something like ‘what are these?’ as they are a bizarre and beautiful com-posite of various creatures, animal, human and divine. They are usually shown playing musical instruments – especially, the veena. Kinnaras have intoxicating siren-like voices, but are aus-picious in nature and loving by disposition. They are often carved in light relief on temple pillars.

Lastly, within the orange border are two decorated friezes of the Vaishnava sectarian marking or Namam. The Namam is worn on the forehead and is typically of two forms (of course, there are variants). The form depicted on the upper strip is the Vadagalai which is U-shaped. The one on the lower strip is the Tengalai which is Y or V shaped. The central stripe between the U or V is known as the Tiruchurnam and is traditionally made of a lime and saffron mix or red ocher. The meaning of the Tiruchurnam is the same as that of the bindu: the whole-ness of divinity and the point of utmost potency from which all manifests. The wearing of the Namam is a highly important preparation for all kinds of ritual action or worship within the Vaishnava fold and is considered to be sanctifying for both the wearer and observer.

[ao3feed-obikin]

Forbidden Love (The Heart Wants What The Heart Wants)

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/49331854 by Waffleykitty Set ten years after the events of "Fire Sparked From Within," the Republic continues to be mired in strife and chaos. A separatist movement encompassing hundreds of planets and powerful corporate alliances poses new threats to the galaxy that even the Jedi cannot stem. These moves, long planned by an as yet unrevealed and powerful force, lead to the beginning of the Clone Wars -- and the beginning of the end of the Republic. --- Young Anakin and Obi-Wan fall in love as galactic war looms. Words: 7051, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Series: Part 2 of A Life of the Jedi Fandoms: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Categories: F/M Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Yoda (Star Wars), Mace Windu, Luminara Unduli, Barriss Offee, Aayla Secura, Kit Fisto, Plo Koon, Shaak Ti, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Depa Billaba, Saesee Tiin, Adi Gallia, Eeth Koth, Agen Kolar, Even Piell, Sar Labooda, Bultar Swan, Padmé Amidala, Dormé (Star Wars), Jar Jar Binks, Bail Organa, Queen Jamillia Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amidala & Anakin Skywalker Additional Tags: Movie: Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Spoilers, Action/Adventure, mild romance, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Character Death, Blood and Violence, Mild Injuries, good vs bad, Falling In Love, Denial of Feelings, Love Confessions, Idiots in Love, Unrequited Love, Not Actually Unrequited Love, True Love, Dorks in Love, Love Triangles, First Love, Declarations Of Love, Love at First Sight, Love/Hate, Friendship/Love, Male-Female Friendship, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, Pregnant Sex, Kissing, Practice Kissing, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, Pregnant Obi-Wan Kenobi, Lightsaber Battles (Star Wars), Space Battles, Female Obi-Wan Kenobi, Minor Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Bottom Obi-Wan Kenobi, Top Anakin Skywalker, Protective Anakin Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Jealous Padmé Amidala read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/49331854

[bluejello]

20 Questions for Fanfic Writers

Ty @ezracomehome for the tag 😘

----

How many works do you have on ao3?

38

What’s your total ao3 word count?

156,652

What fandoms do you write for?

whatever is floating up the river to me that day. lil bit of this, lil bit of that. ;)

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Playdate - 890 kudos

Of Flowers and Numbers - 736 kudos

Accidents Happen - 422 kudos

Of Microwaves and Dodgeballs - 414 kudos

The One With the Single Room - 377 kudos

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I never know if I should or not? Idk I was better at it on ff.net because the reply/inbox method worked better in my brain than how it goes on AO3 but if it's an indepth review/comment I try and reply these days

What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Published, I can think of something's not right which was thg and not the happiest

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

most of them tbh I love happy endings xD not sure what defines "happiest" because it's different for all

Do you get hate on fics?

I have historically, but as mik said it was definitely more on ff.net than AO3. Most of it has been easy to ignore overall.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do but not often, partially because of the ace part of me that doesn't entirely get it from an emotional perspective lolol. I'm most comfortable with F/F but can reasonably (I hope lol) write F/M.

Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

LAWL do stargate sg1/atlantis ones count? xD

Otherwise I don't think so? I've written AU's that have taken place in a different fandom universe but that's the closest.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of so fingers are crossed that is still true

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have! With permission, thankfully - which is all I ask tbh. :)

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

I bounce ideas off of other writers/friends but never officially cowritten.

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

idk if I could choose just one !! part of me wants to say it would be a Stargate ship like Sam/Janet because Stargate is always the ultimate series for me but I feel like I'm biased bc I'm currently obsessed with them again. If this was the me of like ten years ago I would have said Swan Queen which is what I have written the most for but god OUAT and I are forever sworn enemies I just want to bully that series the way it bullied me. I'm going with Sam/Janet just because currently I would die for them.

What’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I have a really good Friends with Benefit AU for Ivanova/Talia that I really want to finish and get out. A Soulmate AU for my bois Ted/Trent. A Heroes AU for Sam/Janet. Nothing has been published but I know they're waiting to be finished.

What are your writing strengths?

crack

but for real, funsies stuff is my fave. Also AUs, I excel at going in depth in my thoughts for them.

What are your writing weaknesses?

the serious stuff/angst tbh I just want to imagine it I don't want to put it into wordssss

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I enjoy when there are translations in the end notes for when I'm reading it but I also will otherwise put it into a translate service. I guess when writing I will keep it to simple phrases I know more than like full sentences? I'm not sure I have a strong enough opinion on this tbh

First fandom you wrote for?

zoowemama 100% was stargate - it was terrible and I'm so glad I have improved since because it was purely self indulgent but I think my first like ten fics were stargate, with maybe a twilight one or two.

Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

my extremely self-indulgent THG AU with Hayffie in the stargate universe. I just wish the stargate universe was as popular of an AU for other fandom works but alas that is what I get for falling in love with 90s scifi !! but this was so much fun to write and put easter eggs in and it was one of the first ones I wrote purely for me and less about what amount of hits/kudos/reviews/etc.

----

no pressure tags: @janetfraiser @ellanainthetardis

[otstudentlife]

From Ugly Duckling to Beautiful Swan: How Mental Health Care Should Transform to Centre Stage

Credit: WHO

Two of the most common mental health conditions, depression and anxiety, cost the global economy US$ 1 trillion per annum. Despite these figures, the global median of government health spending that goes to mental health is less than 2% (WHO, 2023). Mental health is one of the most neglected areas of health globally.  There are several reasons why mental health has been ignored. “The first one is an associated stigma. The second is a perception of mental health disorders as a “luxury good”, as opposed to actual illnesses. The additional top reasons include a fragmented and outdated service model. Some of these include the provision of mental health services mainly in psychiatric hospitals, severe lack of preventative mental health service; lagging policy changes and also a shortage of human resources” (Kovacevic, 2021: no page).

So, what can be done to overcome these barriers? It has been suggested that mental health care be integrated into primary health care. The benefits of integrating mental health into primary healthcare are great. Firstly, integration ensures that the population as a whole has access to the mental healthcare that they need early in the course of disorders and without disruption. Secondly, when people receive treatment in primary healthcare facilities the likelihood of better health outcomes, and even full recovery, as well as maintained social integration is increased (Funk et al, 2008).

“It is important to emphasise that mental healthcare delivered in a primary health care setting is much more likely to be effective and sustainable if complimented by a strong secondary level of care to which primary healthcare workers can turn to for referrals, as well as for support and supervision. Having in place strong informal community mental health services and support groups, run by NGOs and faith-based organisations can also compliment and strengthen the services provided through primary healthcare services” (Funk et al, 2008: no page).

In terms of the above it now makes sense for our group to have done health promotion on depression at the community level in a clinic at Mariannridge. The clinic furthermore offers the services of a counsellor one day a week. But much more could be offered at the clinic with posters on different aspects of mental health being put up and made visible. Informal support groups could be initiated with a monthly meeting to discuss mental health matters. And further mental health promotion can be done. The need for these initiatives is massive.

Good mental health needs to start taking centre stage. It not only affects the person but the economy and society at large. The numbers are staggering. Currently, almost 1 billion people live with a mental disorder and in low-income countries, more than 75% of people with the disorder do not receive treatment. Annually, close to 3 million people die due to substance abuse.  Every 40 seconds, a person dies by suicide. Roughly 50% of mental health disorders start by the age of 14 (Kovacevic, 2021).

It is expected that in the next ten years, depression will put more burden on nations than any other disease. Given the chronic nature of the disease, this translates into a significant economic impact worldwide. “According to the WHO, every $1 invested in mental health yields a $4 return on investment. In Ukraine, for example, it is estimated that for the period between 2017 to 2030, the country could save $2 on restored productivity and added economic value, if it invests $1 in the treatment of common mental disorders” (Kovacevic, 2021: no page).

Thus, investing in mental health has significant benefits for the person, society and the economy. With such great benefits it is imperative that mental health care no longer be seen as the Cinderella of Health Care but as Queen Elsa (of Frozen) taking centre stage. Would you not agree?

For Further Information:

The World Health Organisation has valuable data on the burden of mental health. You can find it at https://www.who.int/health-topics/mental-health#tab=tab_2

To learn more about integrating mental health into primary health care visit https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2777555/

If you would like to start a mental health support group in your area, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) can assist with learning how to do it. See here https://www.sadag.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3212:start-a-support-group&catid=96:support-groups for more information.

If you would like to raise awareness on one of the most common mental health issues namely depression, find WHO flyers on the topic here https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/2021/campaign-materials

______________________________________________________________

References

Funk et al. 2008. Integrating mental health into primary healthcare. Accessed from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2777555/

Kovacevic, R. 2021. Mental health: lessons learned in 2020 for 2021 and forward. Accessed from: https://blogs.worldbank.org/health/mental-health-lessons-learned-2020-2021-and-forward

World Health Organisation. 2023. Mental Health. Accessed from:https://www.who.int/health-topics/mental-health#tab=tab_1