#this is what producing 3-4 finished things each month for 11 months will do to you kids

[hellyeahmfwitchcrafttime]

we;re so back

[a-pale-azure-moon]

WIP Wednesday

It's done.

There will be revisions and tweaks to make between now and when I post it in a few days, but I have finished the final chapter of Someday We'll Shine Together. At long last, it is complete.

I'm struggling to distill all of my emotions into words at the moment. This fic has been a part of my life for about three years now. I'm feeling accomplished and proud of myself for really and truly finishing it despite the fact that when I first had the idea, I was convinced this was another of those fleeting inspirational flashes that would never go anywhere and would forever languish in my WIP folder. I got very attached to this story in the process of creating it, and I got even more attached to it when it was one of the things that helped see me through a very difficult time in my personal life. As such, I'm also grieving that it's over and that I now must let it go. Sure, it'll always exist for me to revisit whenever I want, but that feeling is never the same as the one derived from actively working on it.

While I'm still digesting all of these emotions, here's a rough timeline and some background of the fic's development, so you can all see how I finally got to this point. This is pretty personal too, because the two are irrevocably intertwined. (Content warning: death/grief)

Summer 2020: Initial inspiration hits after I rewatched Utena during COVID lockdown.

Fall 2020: Brainworms are on-and-off active, writing short blurbs in a Google doc when they come to me, but there's no true shape to the whole plot yet, it’s just random scenes. It's more or less still strictly a 3H-esque retelling of Utena, and I'm not expecting anything to actually come of these blurbs.

Winter 2020: More blurbs trickle in here and there. The story in my head is starting to divert more drastically from the show.

February 19, 2021: Draft of the pivotal scene at the end of Chapter 15 written. I remember the specific day for this because I wrote it the same day we put down our dog, Clancy. (Writing emotional scenes often helps me process my own emotions.)

April 11, 2021: Creation of my dedicated author's notes file to keep track of the various threads and ideas I'd come up with, especially the backstory about Faerghus and how Dimitri became the Lion Prince. I filled it in like an extended summary or wikipedia entry about the 'verse and the overall plot of the story. I jotted a lot of stuff down between April and June as the brainworms really got to work again.

Summer 2021: I'm starting to entertain the idea of actually seeing this project through. Chapters 1 and 2 are drafted over the summer months, but I hit a block and the self doubt comes roaring right in to deter me.  A LARGE part of my struggle with getting this fic out of development hell was me being unable to get out of my own way.  Every stumbling block I hit (especially early on) was an invitation for my inner critic to resume browbeating me into giving up this “stupid” idea.

September 2021: I finally make up my mind that I'm really going to do this, and I spend the next six weeks ironing out the bumps in the plot and making a chapter-by-chapter outline highlighting the key scenes/plot points/character beats within each one. I organized the various blurbs I had into chronological order and put them under the correct chapter headings. I also started thinking of the best way to get myself to see this project through, as well as what would be a realistic timetable for its completion. I estimated that the final length of the whole thing would be around 350 pages or roughly 150K words. (This is hilarious to me in hindsight.  I severely underestimated the scope of this fic!)

November 2021: I try to do the NaNoWriMo challenge (50K words in a month) to draft as much of the fic as I can. I "only" produce about 35K words in the end, but it was enough to draft Chapters 3 and 4 and write at least one decent-sized blurb within each of all of the remaining chapters.

December 2021: I took a short hiatus from working on SWST to finish Beneath the Ethereal Moon. When that's done, I went over my outline yet again to refine it further and then cleaned up my draft of Chapter 1 with an eye on posting it after right after New Year's. I determined that posting (and writing) one chapter per month should be doable, especially since I have a generous buffer to start with.

January 2022: I get a bad case of cold feet/anxiety and don't post Chapter 1. I'm having trouble getting a feel for Chapter 5 and fail to finish it before the end of the month. (This naturally doesn't help alleviate my self-doubt or silence my very loud inner critic.)

February 2022: Cold feet strike again and I fail to post Chapter 1 a second time. I'm still stuck on Chapter 5 (though I've at least made some progress), and while I'm extremely aware that I'm being my own worst enemy, that doesn't make it any easier to beat back old habits.

March 2, 2022: In the wee hours of the night (it was after midnight), I finally posted Chapter 1 and went straight to bed after. I slept terribly of course, haha.

I wish I could say "and you know the rest from here," but that's not true. Posting Chapter 1 was a huge mental hurdle cleared, but there were other things going on behind the scenes that almost derailed this project for good. The timing was such that if I were more prone to hubris, I'd think that the universe itself was testing my resolve. Or possibly mocking me.

On March 3, 2022 (yes, the day after I posted Chapter 1), my father was admitted to the hospital with a debilitating pain in his lower back. Initially, we thought it might be a flare up of his sciatica or maybe something like a kidney stone, but the truth was far worse. What he had was a spinal epidural abscess caused by a bacterial infection in his blood. He was transported to the ICU of a larger (further away) hospital once the severity of his condition was discovered, and he was pumped full of massive doses of antibiotics. Thanks to that, he stabilized, but what followed after was a long period of uncertainty as he would start to make gains only to suffer a setback. Even once the infection and his pain level were under control, he'd been so severely sick that the bacteria had ravaged his various body systems, leading to issues with his kidneys and his heart.

For 91 days, my family and I were stuck on a wretched rollercoaster of getting hopeful (he was transferred to a rehab facility three different times when it looked like he was improving) and then having our hopes dashed when something would happen that would see him sent back to the hospital (falling out of bed, chest pains, difficulty breathing). Hope began to fade in mid May when he was transferred back to the ICU due to diastolic heart failure, which caused his lungs to fill up with fluid. They tapped his lungs thrice, removing at least a liter of fluid each time, but they kept filling up again despite all the diuretics the doctors were giving him. Then his kidneys began to shut down too. We kept hoping right until the end, but he passed away on June 1, 2022, the day before what would've been his and my mother's 49th wedding anniversary.

(Proof that real life can be even crueler than fiction.)

I was only able to continue updating SWST while my father was sick because of that buffer I'd had, and I very nearly deleted the story from AO3 altogether after he died. I remember ruminating about how futile it was to continue with this project; I'd written almost nothing while he was sick, so my buffer was now gone and I questioned whether or not I'd be able to write, let alone write consistently, with the promised months of grief and general upheaval ahead. Even writing a story that I had, to that point, been passionate about felt utterly pointless.

It was strange though. I woke up on June 2nd thinking that maybe I should go ahead and post chapter 4 anyway, since it was already done and it was one of the chapters I particularly liked. So I did. And in the following days, we had my father's funeral and a part of me felt like I could breathe again. I was grieving yes, but the constant daily stress and uncertainty from his illness was gone, and I think that freed my creative drive to start working again. I remember the first day I sat back down at my computer with the intention to write and how much better I felt in general after I got some words onto the screen.

It's hella ironic that I planned SWST with grief and loss as major themes and it turned out I'd be processing such things myself while writing most of it. I know my own grief affected the story, though it's impossible to say to what degree; I get a lot of catharsis in general from writing emotional scenes, so I tend to go hard on them regardless. It didn't change the plot or direction of the story at all, since that was already planned, but it's certainly safe to say that I channeled a lot of my own feelings into some of the most intense moments. The ending of Chapter 9 stands out in particular as something that felt like it was coming straight out of my own heart.

Even on the hard days when I was feeling too overwhelmed and/or the words just weren’t coming, this story gave me a reason to keep going.  Just keeping the goal in mind and reasserting my resolve to be consistent and see this project through to the end helped me cope.  It both kept me grounded and helped me process what I was going through and it gave me something to look forward to when I uploaded each chapter and anxiously waited to see what the readers would think.

I started this fic as a means of testing myself: testing my commitment to writing consistently, to finishing a long-term project, and to getting over at least some of the many, MANY mental hurdles that have held me back from writing for way too long.  I knew that this story would always be near and dear to me if I managed to finish it, but it became even more precious than I ever could’ve imagined back in 2020.  It hurts that I must say goodbye to it, but…it’s forever mine.  I can say with my whole chest that I MADE THIS THING and I’m so very proud of it! <3

[gekidasa]

20 questions for fic writers

Thank you for tagging me, @jaimebluesq!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 50!

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 133,410

3. What fandoms do you write for? MDZS, fairly exclusively right now. Aside from that: Cardcaptor Sakura is the fandom I first wrote fanfic for. I’ve written some X/TB, Tenipuri, Kamen Rider, some others. But to be honest, in most fandoms I don’t write much, if at all.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

And I will stay with you / And you will keep me close, which I just call the Sangcheng Roommates AU. This has stalled for reasons, but I do want to finish it. It’s a fun concept.

When a secret isn’t really secret, a Touya/Yuki fic! It’s actually just Yukito and Fujitaka talking about Yukito and Touya’s relationship, Touya is barely in it 😂

Heart-opening flow, my sangcheng yoga au, the first sangcheng fic I ever wrote.

The Half-Eaten Peach Longs to be Filled with Cream. Okay, I love this one. It’s sangcheng, and it’s porn.

Stay, also sangcheng. Modern au, first time they have sex. Technically it has the same rating as number 4, but it’s nowhere near as filthy.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Yes, I try to, because while I write fic for me, the reason I share it is in the hope of getting to have conversations with others that like the characters and ship as much as I do.

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I mean, I don’t really do angst, but I suppose Yaguruma’s Hell because it’s Yaguruma thinking about how he’ll take Kageyama away and they’ll be together, and that’s just before, well. Spoilers for Yaguruma and Kageyama’s story in Kamen Rider Kabuto. It doesn’t actually go into the ending, it relies on you knowing what happens.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I really don’t know. I mostly write fluff, and most of them have happy endings.

8. Do you get hate on fics? I never have. I feel like mostly you don’t get hate if you don’t write for particularly popular ships in popular fandoms. Although, if I’d gotten into MDZS just 6 months or so earlier, I might have gotten hate by the infamous troll that went around harassing sangcheng fans.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Sure do! And well�� I suppose you could say I often write FLUFFY smut, because it’s about characters that have strong feelings about each other, but I’d also like to think I write fairly dirty smutty (but not particularly kinky). Probably the best example of what I mean is Hold the doors, which is a nielan fic about Lan Xichen giving his neighbor that he just met, Nie Mingjue, a blowjob. It has been described as both filthy and soft.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? Nope, not my thing, as a writer or reader.

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

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Also nope.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship? Probably Touya/Yukito, because it’s about than the ship itself for me at this point. They’re what got me into CLAMP, and also what got me into shipping, and I made a fansite for them that was the first site I made of any kind and that is still online. They’re the reason I learned to code.

Or sangcheng. It maybe recency bias, but they've certainly gotten me to produce more fic than any other ship.

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? Isolated Incidents, a fic about Touya and Yukito kissing. It would have been fine if I had just made it a one shot about their first kiss, but instead I decided that it would have MORE, and that I'd explore the evolution of their relationship through different kisses. It was a good idea at the time, I'd just gotten actively back into CLAMP fandom, had recoded the Touya/Yukito shrine in modern HTML and CSS, and was rewatching Cardcaptor Sakura and writting short little fics for them again. But then December 2020 came, and I decided to read MDZS... and that pretty much took over my fandom life. There's MDZS fics I haven't worked on in quite a while, but since I'm still actively in this fandom, they aren't in "probably won't finish" territory.

16. What are your writing strengths? I think I write amusing stories, and I’m not embarrassed to write smut. Also, I think I tend to have fairly defined voices for characters.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Consistency in the sense of sticking with writing a thing. Actual plot. Those go hand in hand. It’s very hard for me to write long fics for those reasons. I often have IDEAS for fics I really like, and I might sort of… loosely plot them out, but in no way enough to actually write most of them.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? Unless you actually KNOW something of the language, just avoid it. You’ll probably make a fool of yourself otherwise.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Cardcaptor Sakura, Touya/Yukito.

20. Favorite fic you've written? I don’t have a favorite. Unsatisfying, I know.

Not tagging anyone,

Changed my mind! Tagging @mulberrylotus @telperintal @angie-s-g @revesdelimonade

Anyone else do it if you want to!

[whumptober]

Whumptober 2020 - Updated

Welcome to Whumptober 2020! We’re doing things a little differently this year so please make sure to read the Event Info carefully. We are also excited to announce the addition of an AO3 Collection, which can be found here.

We hope you’re as excited as us to watch the Whump Community come together once again for a month of bone-crunching creativity and collaboration!

(All 31 Themes + Prompts, Event Information, and FAQs are posted below the cut!)

No 1. LET'S HANG OUT SOMETIME Waking Up Restrained | Shackled | Hanging

No 2. IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY  "Pick Who Dies" | Collars | Kidnapped

No 3. MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY Manhandled | Forced to their Knees | Held at Gunpoint

No 4. RUNNING OUT OF TIME Caged | Buried Alive | Collapsed Building

No 5. WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING? On the Run | Failed Escape | Rescue

No 6. PLEASE.... "Get it Out" | No More | "Stop, please"

No 7. I'VE GOT YOU Support | Carrying | Enemy to Caretaker

No 8. WHERE DID EVERYBODY GO? "Don't Say Goodbye" | Abandoned | Isolation

No 9. FOR THE GREATER GOOD "Take Me Instead" | "Run!” | Ritual Sacrifice

No 10. THEY LOOK SO PRETTY WHEN THEY BLEED Blood Loss | Internal Bleeding | Trail of Blood

No 11. PSYCH 101 Defiance | Struggling | Crying

No 12. I THINK I'VE BROKEN SOMETHING Broken Down | Broken Bones | Broken Trust

No 13. BREATHE IN BREATHE OUT Delayed Drowning | Chemical Pneumonia | Oxygen Mask

No 14. IS SOMETHING BURNING? Branding | Heat Exhaustion | Fire

No 15. INTO THE UNKNOWN Possession | Magical Healing | Science Gone Wrong

No 16. A TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY Forced to Beg | Hallucinations | Shoot the Hostage

No 17. I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING Blackmail | Dirty Secret | Wrongfully Accused

No 18. PANIC! AT THE DISCO Panic Attacks | Phobias | Paranoia

No 19. BROKEN HEARTS Grief | Mourning Loved One | Survivor's Guilt

No 20. TOTO, I HAVE A FEELING WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE Lost | Field Medicine | Medieval

No 21. I DON'T FEEL SO WELL Chronic Pain | Hypothermia | Infection

No 22. DO THESE TACOS TASTE FUNNY TO YOU? Poisoned | Drugged | Withdrawal

No 23. WHAT’S A WHUMPEE GOTTA DO TO GET SOME SLEEP AROUND HERE? Exhaustion | Narcolepsy | Sleep Deprivation

No 24. YOU’RE NOT MAKING ANY SENSE Forced Mutism | Blindfolded | Sensory Deprivation

No 25. I THINK I’LL JUST COLLAPSE RIGHT HERE, THANKS Disorientation | Blurred Vision | Ringing Ears

No 26. IF YOU THOUGHT THE HEAD TRAUMA WAS BAD... Migraine | Concussion | Blindness

No 27. OK, WHO HAD NATURAL DISASTERS ON THEIR 2020 BINGO CARD? Earthquake | Extreme Weather | Power Outage

No 28. SUCH WOW. MANY NORMAL. VERY OOPS. Accidents | Hunting Season | Mugged

No 29. I THINK I NEED A DOCTOR Intubation | Emergency Room | Reluctant Bedrest

No 30. NOW WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? Wound Reveal | Ignoring an Injury | Internal Organ Injury

No 31. TODAY’S SPECIAL: TORTURE Experiment | Whipped | Left for Dead

Alternate Prompt List

Alt 1. Punctured

Alt 2. Falling

Alt 3. Comfort

Alt 4. Stitches

Alt 5. Stoic Whumpees

Alt 6. Altered States

Alt 7. Found Family

Alt 8. Adverse Reactions

Alt 9. Memory Loss

Alt 10. Nightmares

Alt 11. Presumed Dead

Alt. 12. Water

Alt. 13 Accidents

Alt. 14 Shot

Alt. 15 Carry/Support

Event Info

WHUMPTOBER is a month-long, prompt-based creation challenge (think: Inktober, but whumpier). There are 31 Official themes this year - one for each day of the month - which can be used, skipped, or combined in any way you’d like. They are meant to serve as inspiration without being taken literally (e.g. you don't have to include the exact wording into your work). Additionally, there are 3 prompts for each theme.  These are optional suggestions and can be used in conjunction with the theme, or as options/alternatives.  We want to give everyone as much creative freedom as possible, as well as increase event accessibility for folks with triggers and squicks.

Creators can PRODUCE work in any media they choose, including but not limited to: writing, visual artwork, and photo/video/audio edits. Creators can PARTICIPATE as much or as little as they want (i.e. you don’t have to do ALL the prompts if you don’t want to) and prompts can be used in any order. They are also free to use even after the event ends.

When uploading Whumptober content to your blog, be sure to tag the with:

#whumptober2020 …..(the event tag)

#no.1, #no.2, #no.3, …..(theme number)

#bruised, #stabbed,  …..(the theme or specific prompt you chose)

#fandom or #OC

#medium …..(gifs, fic, podcast, art, etc.)

#teeth, #etc …..(trigger warnings & any additional tags. Keep in mind not to add “tw” in front but only use the word/trigger itself, because tumblr sucks)

#nsfw, #nsfwhump …..(only for nsfw content)

PLEASE BE DILIGENT WITH YOUR TAGGING. Only properly tagged posts are considered for archiving on the official @whumptober2020​ blog. They must be tagged in the order above.

Unfortunately, due to the sheer number of participants in recent years, we cannot guarantee your work will be archived. A random selection of properly tagged posts from all genres will be reblogged each day.

Whumpers who produce content for 31 total theme days are considered event completionists and will be tagged in a masterpost at the end of the month.

Questions not addressed below can be directed to this blog as well.

Thanks for reading, and happy whumping!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What kind of content can I make? Can it be NSFW?

This is a MIXED MEDIA event! You can write fic, post meta, doodle or paint, create a gif set or photo edit, link a song, or get crafty with video - anything goes. As for NSFW, make what you like, we just hope that you’ll tag your work accordingly so that others participating in the event can stay safe :)

Q. Do I have to do all 31 Days? Can I post early/late?

Participate as much or little as you like, and post whenever! Just be sure to tag your posts properly (ex. #no.11, #psych101). Combining prompts into one piece of work is okay, and posting late is as well so as long as it’s in October.

Q. What if I don’t understand a theme?

Send us an ask! We’re happy to help clarify. That said, the themes are entirely up for interpretation :)

Q. Can I combine Whumptober with other creation challenges?

Absolutely! That’s like shooting two whumpees with one bullet :)

Q. Can I upload/repost my whumptober content to other social media platforms?

Of course! We’ve created an AO3 Collection to archive any fics posted there. The archive can be accessed here. The blog is the official archive, so please respect the boundaries of any closeted whumpers in your social circle :)

Q. Can I use prompts to write a new chapter for an existing fic?

Yes

Q. An existing fic I am currently writing contains many of the Whumptober prompts, can I use it?

If you are actively writing this fic at the moment with the whumptober prompts in mind, yes. If it just conveniently checks the boxes, then please don’t. You can, however, add new chapters answering one or more of the prompts.

Q. What kind of characters can I write for?

Fandom characters, OC characters, human, furry, alien, cyborg, whoever you like.

Q. Can I use a prompt multiple times?

Yes,  but it only counts once

Q. If I’m not comfortable with one day's prompts can I use a prompt of a different day as a substitute and still be a completionist?

Yes, but please do not use a specific prompt twice. We have also created an alternate prompts list that you can draw from [here].

Q. Where can I post my work?

Post where and how you want. You don’t even have to (cross)post it to Tumblr. Just keep in mind if it’s not on Tumblr we will not be able to add it to the blog archive.

Q. Can I start posting early?

You can, but this is an October event and wouldn’t it be more fun with everyone doing it at the same time? That being said, you can post early, but we won’t be reblogging any work predating October 1st.

Q. Do I have to finish a fic I started/can I post WIP’s.?

Yes you can post WIPs. And you’re not obligated to finish it in October for it to count towards being a completionist.  

Q. Is co-writing allowed?

Yes, absolutely, and it would count towards being a completionist for both/all of you :)

Q. Do I have to create 31 standalone pieces to be considered a completionist or can I write one continuous story?

One continuous story is fine.  The challenge is to write something for 31 prompts. If that’s spread over 31 fics or just one, you are still considered a completionist. (The same goes for every other media you choose.)

Q. Is there a min/max limit on word count?

There is no limit

Q. Can I combine prompts? Is there a limit on how many?

No limit and combine as many as you’d like.

Q. Is a hc/angst focus ok?

Of course!

Q. What’s considered nsfw?

See this post

Q. What's whump?

See this post

Q. My interpretation of the prompt isn't whumpy at all, does that count?

No, sorry, but keep in mind that whump [see definition] is something very nuanced and different for everyone and emotional whump/angst is just as much part of it, as is physical whump and torture. So before you dismiss your idea, think about this.

Q. Can I start working on the prompts before October?

Absolutely! That’s why we posted the prompts a month in advance. We recognise how difficult it can be creating for 31 days in “real time”.

Q. How do I tag triggers?

tw at the end of the word, ex. emeto tw

Q. Do I have to use your tags?

Yes, if you want your work archived on the blog. If not, feel free to use whatever tags you want.  

Q. Does combining prompts count towards completion?

Yes

Q. Can we @ you?

Yes but we mostly rely on the whumptober2020 tag

Q. Is there anything we are absolutely not allowed to write?

There are no rules, just be sure to properly tag your trigger warnings. And keep in mind Tumblr’s policies if you are posting it here (or the policies of whatever site you use).

Q. Where can I go for brainstorming help?

Here on Discord

Q. My characters are minors, is that ok?

Yes, but as with everything else, tags are your best friend.

Q. Can I cross post on other blogs?

Yes, multiple platforms and blogs are perfectly acceptable. You can also post different works to different accounts under different names, without posting them everywhere at once.

Note: This is a creation challenge, please don’t repost your old work under our tags (unless it’s been changed or edited for the event).

[wc-confessions]

hi its the original cheetz animator anon again and SO SORRY for kicking off drama then dipping for days. however, this is gonna get LONG.

cheetz' entire work model screams offloading shit onto other people so they can produce as much as possible in the shortest amount of time.

Weekend maps (baby's first crunch culture), 200-part maps with 3 collabers on each one (literally 0 problem with collaboration and its very cool [even if its solely because of the insane crunch], but I'll get to why Im bringing it up), and TRAILERS for their maps to generate as much hype as possible for them. What these create is hundreds of videos about The New Cheeteh Z Map, thus boosting cheetz in the algorithm MASSIVELY.

To break it down, each of the 200 map part creators will post a video with the map title in it, pushing the topic out to as many people as possible. the trailer is there for the existing subs, making SURE they watch at the premiere and again putting the "X Cheeteh Z MAP" topic as smth that anyone who vaguely likes maps needs to watch Right Now. Premiere happens, everyone watches, maybe skims the part playlist, and subs to cheetz (or at least flags to yt that theyre interested in their vids). Because this happens every 3 weeks, it's a consistent stream of content running back to them. its the exact same content-farming dr**k did lmfaoo

The same thing happens to hype the animators for The Next Big Project in the server. I think it was hollyfawn that had a 10-day @/everyone spree with like? a scavenger hunt? to tease that the next project was coming, prepare to apply!!11! To add onto it, they literally dont even do the storyboarding themself. They recruit like 5 other people to do it and cheetz'll help out. This is why the visual language is as disjointed as it is, and no hate towards the board artists! Its just that everyone has different styles and cheetz isnt exactly there to unify it aside from some meaningless symbols (does anyone actually know what hawkstorm's wings mean. anyone?)

Now that we've dissected my perspective on cheetz' content creation style, I've done a wee bit of research on my end with the analytics of my vids.

DISCLAIMER: I am a smallish channel with a few hundred subs and I only upload once every couple months. in fact I'm in the process of divorcing myself from wc so its prolly gonna have a massive subdrop as soon as I upload original animations. I am also one person and have not corroborated my findings with any other animators. Part 2 of the disclaimer: Tigernoir was never finished. After the controversy and threats against the host+animators we agreed to call it off and unlist/priv/delete our parts.

The difference in analytics between my TN part and my other unrelated parts that have a fairly large amount of views within the same amount of time is Notable. This is based on the 4-day mark of each part being up (the numbers are accurate because these were recorded then, and not pulled up Now):

The unrelated part got 1.8k views by then, TN got 2.3k. the difference is the interactions though. By the 4-day mark, the unrelated part had 36k impressions, accessed thru the sidebar (a 5% watchrate), and TN had 10k impressions (23%), accessed mainly thru the playlist. TN had 4 comments by then, Unrelated had 12. Unrelated gained me 50 subs, TN gained 10.

Obviously 2 vids from one person can't be Concrete Evidence, so my theory for this is that people are just skimming through the playlist without actually Intending to watch the videos. With the algorithm, even though a smaller percentage clicked the video, the views clearly had their eye caught and chose to check it out. This meant the viewers were actually engaged with the content and chose to see what else the uploader had going. TN's part on the other hand was just kinda There and automatically watched, then likely skipped onto the next part when the process section began.

In all, the focus is not on the animator when it comes to a cheetz map from what I've noticed. It is quite literally All About Cheetz, and he doesnt do anything but PROMOTE that with their content creation style and how he interacted with the people that work for him. Downright disheartening, and this style becoming fairly mainstream + their fans mirroring it is a very large part why im packing my bags from the warriors animation scene. Once again, sorry abt the length! but that anon did drive me mildly berserk and I needed to delve a bit deeper into my stance.

all i can really say is that that sucks man. i'm glad you're trying to pursue something that makes you happy tho! i really hope you gain the traction you desire along your journey! ik all the animators on cheeteh z's maps are like super fantastic so like i can already imagine how good your content will be..

[costis]

Queen’s Thief character age chart

here's a massive thing full of speculation and vague sketchy evidence: queen's thief character age chart! (with explanations) huge huge huge thank you to @whocalledhimannux for their queen's thief timeline and also to all the lovely people who piece these things together with me in the queen's thief discord!

disclaimer: a good deal of this is guesswork, and also mwt has intentionally left character details open so that readers can fill in their own assumptions. therefor, even the canon bits of this aren’t strictly canon, and you are encouraged to imagine characters however old or young you want.

Image description and further explanation under the cut!

[ID: a chart with characters (gen irene, helen, sophos, costis, kamet, and pheris) listed on the left side, and books (tt, qoa, koa, acok, tat, and rott) listed above. the graph is filled with the ages of each character in each book, as follows: gen, 15 in tt, 16-19 in qoa, 19 in koa, 19-20 in acok, 20-21 in tat, and 20-23 in rott. irene, 23 in tt, 24-27 in qoa, 27 in koa, 27-28 in acok, 28-29 in tat, and 28-31 in rott. helen, 20 in tt, 21-24 in qoa, 24 in koa, 24-25 in acok, 25-26 in tat, and 25-28 in rott. sophos, 13 in tt, 14-17 in qoa, 17 in koa, 17-19 in acok, 19-20 in tat, 19-22 in rott. costis, 16 in tt, 17-20 in qoa, 20 in koa, 20-21 in acok, 21-22 in tat, 21-24 in rott. kamet, 18 in tt, 19-22 in qoa, 22 in koa, 22-23 in acok, 23-24 in tat, 23-26 in rott. pheris, 7 in tt, 8-11 in qoa, 11 in koa, 11-12 in acok, 12-13 in tat, 13-15 in rott. end ID.]

What we know for sure:

Helen is 20 during TT and Gen is 15 (note: there's a chance he's 16, depending on when in the summer it is.) Helen has been queen for 5 years and became queen when she was 15. Gen is 5 years younger than her. Gen’s birthday is in the summer. Sophos is younger than Gen by an unspecified amount, but old enough to be apprenticed to the Magus. (TT, Eddis short story, RoTT)

QoA takes place a year after TT, making Helen 21 and Gen 16 at the start and spans two more years. Helen says mid-QoA that she’s been queen seven years, making her 22 and Gen 17 at that point, and they are 23/24 and 18/19 by the end. Note: Due to Gen’s birthday being in the late summer and him being captured in the summer, there is a chance he’s already 17 at the beginning. If not, his birthday is shortly after. Irene is older than both Helen and Gen, and is old enough that Phresine worries about her producing an heir before too long, but young enough to still be considered attractive for more than political reasons. She became queen when she was younger than Gen is during the marriage proposal (18), and was engaged for a year during puberty beforehand. She had already been queen for a few years when Helen became Eddis. (QoA)

Gen and Irene get married in the summer. KoA (not counting the prologue) picks up less than two months after the end of QoA, starting in late summer or early autumn, making Gen 19. Only about four months pass from prologue to end, or two from chapter one to end. Costis is older than Gen, but “very young for a squad leader,” and Teleus accepted him a year below age limit. He was promoted to squad leader after the Battle of Thegmis (presumably the retaking of Thegmis, which takes place towards the end of the war). (KoA)

ACoK and TaT overlap some, with TaT also overlapping with RoTT. Gen is still 19 when Sophos arrives in Attolia, but turns 20 by the end of ACoK. Sophos goes through the final stages of puberty during his time as a slave and shortly after. (ACoK, RoTT)

Kamet estimates himself to be the same age as or slightly older than Costis. He was purchased by Nahuseresh when he was still a child, and has been with him for many years. Nahuseresh is attractive enough to interest Irene’s attendants, so presumably he’s middle aged at most. Gen is at least 20, possibly 21 when Costis and Kamet arrive in Attolia. (QoA, TaT, RoTT)

Two or slightly less than two more years pass from that point to the end of Rott, for a total of about 8 years in which the series takes place. Gen is 23 and Helen 28 at the end of the series. (RoTT)

Speculation:

General note: contrary to popular belief, the average age children reach puberty has not changed much throughout history.

Irene: Irene went through a growth spurt either before or while she was engaged, and was married a year after, making her anywhere between 12 and 17 when she was engaged. She was younger than 18 when she was married, so I would approximate she was 14 or 15 when engaged and 15 or 16 when married. She was already established when Helen took the throne, so I’ll say 3 or 4 years between the two of them becoming queens, making Irene 3 to 6 years older than Helen and 8 to 11 years older than Gen, most likely on the lower end of that.

Sophos: Sophos is finishing puberty when he becomes king, making him 16-19. Since he’s younger than Gen, who’s 19 at the time, my guess would place him at 17 years old at that point.

Costis: Costis is older than Gen by an unspecified amount, but very young for his rank of squad leader, and it’s mentioned there’s men twice his age serving in the guard, which means he’s probably below 25 if we assume the guardsmen retire around 50. The form of the Queen’s Guard is (loosely) based on the real-world Praetorian Guard, which recruited men between 15 and 32. Costis was a year below age limit when he was recruited, making him 14 if we follow Praetorian guidelines. It would take a minimum of four years for a Praetorian to be promoted to the equivalent of a squad leader, making Costis 18 at the youngest when promoted. However, he was promoted towards the end of the war (at which point Gen is 18), so he was either older when he was recruited, or took longer than four years. I’ll put him at 14 when recruited, 17-19 during the war with Eddis and Sounis, 19 when he gets promoted, and 20 at the start of KoA.

Kamet: If we take Kamet’s word for it, which I’m choosing to do because I’ve already done too much speculation and math, he’s either Costis’s age or a bit older, making him from 21 to 25 at most at the start of TaT. I’ll put him in the middle at 23.

Pheris: (forgive me I haven’t reread RoTT yet) Other characters assume Pheris is younger than he is, since he’s small and frail for his age. He’s old enough to be considered as an attendant for the king, so I would guess he’s 10 at the youngest when he arrives in the palace, but probably more like 12-13, making him 15-16 by the end of RoTT

i have not included minor characters because they’re even harder to pin down and this post is already long enough, but feel free to drop an ask or message if you want my guesses on any of them!

[whenimaunicorn]

Playing House Part 10

Ubbe x Reader, Ivar x Reader. Modern Vikings college AU

Words: 3481. Short for me but I think these words pack a punch...

Content Tags: predator kink, voyeurism, roleplayed fear, roleplayed punishment, overstimulation

Catch up:   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

You had spent months wrapped up in delicious, heady anticipation, just wondering what these boys would be like in bed, or if you would ever even get there with either of them. Now it seems like the tables are turned; it’s Ivar and Ubbe that are obsessed, each of them tantalized and awakened in their own way to what you’ve brought into their lives: the opportunity to indulge every kinky fantasy and fucked-up thought they’ve ever had.

You say no to some things, of course. But your limits are so far from “normal” that you still manage to surprise and delight them with your amenability to trying just about anything. You’re here to serve. And the excitement of still not knowing what they’re going to want to do to your body next? That’s the most intoxicating feeling of all.

Classes start again for you and Ivar, meaning you probably have more important things to do than being the fuckdoll that keeps the apartment looking nice for her boys. But Ivar takes care of you here, too: a strict schedule is set, for study and play, so neither of you fall behind. That’s not to say that Ubbe doesn’t sometimes use you as a cockwarmer while you’re going through your flashcards, or that you don’t spend some evenings knotted up on the couch in comfortable bondage while you and Ivar finish your reading assignments. You find ways to get everyone’s competing needs met.

And Ubbe… Ubbe has discovered his own brand of kink.

“Hey y/n,” he says, catching your eye just as you’ve finished polishing up the kitchen. All he’s got to do is give you that look, and you know what’s about to happen. And he reads something in your eyes that signals you’re up for it, too. He winks. “Run.”

You launch yourself past him through the doorway of the kitchen. His hand almost catches at your hip, but you twist away from him just quickly enough, grinning at your triumph even though he probably only let you get by him so that he could enjoy the chase.

You get the couch between him and you, but realize that now you’re cornered. His teeth are bared like a savage as he follows each of your feints, left, right, left again. If you could get past him and down the hallway, you might be able to get to your room with enough time to lock him out.

You know, if you actually wanted to win.

You’re giggling; he’s growling. “When I catch you, y/n,” he threatens, “say goodbye to those panties.” You feint to the right, then rapidly to the left, but he doesn’t fall for it. “I’ll rip ‘em faster than Ivar can keep replacing them.”

You’ve stopped wearing anything other than skirts and dresses around the apartment. Between Ubbe’s constant roughhousing and Ivar’s penchant for sliding his hands up and up and up, you never want to have to pause the action long enough to shimmy out of anything so complicated as pants.

“You’re not getting away,” Ubbe informs you with a deep, predatory chuckle. Tiring of darting from side to side, he starts to climb directly over the couch at you.

That’s your chance, though. As soon as he’s off the ground you dart off to the left, ducking under his reaching arm and speeding over to the hallway that leads back to the bedrooms. You can hear his feet thudding behind you as he jumps down, but maybe you can make it . . .  passing Ivar’s empty room, you duck into your own and fling yourself at the door, adrenaline making you giddy as you try and swing it around and shut it right in Ubbe’s face.

His arms scoop around your waist before you pull it even a few inches. “Gotcha,” he gloats, then lifts your feet up off the floor and tosses you at your bed.

Ever since that scuffle after he made you answer Ivar’s call, you had both realized Ubbe loved to feel you fighting him just as much as you loved struggling against him. And so now, whenever Ivar’s not home, you fear his return only about equally as much as you worry that the neighbors might call the cops on all the bangs and thumps they have to be hearing whenever you and Ubbe get into it. Hopefully they can hear that you laugh just as much as you scream.

You try to bounce off the mattress as soon as he flings you onto it, but again Ubbe is too fast for you. His wide hand centers on your chest and pushes you right back down, then holds you there as he gets his other hand up your skirt. “I don’t know why you even bother to keep wearing these,” he says, the exertion thinning out his voice as he gets his fist around the side of your panties and starts dragging them down.

When you arch your back and grind your ass into the bed to try and make his job more difficult, he slaps the side of your thigh and then tries again twice as hard.

You’ve chosen lace today, which you slightly regret as you feel the friction of the scratchy material digging into your skin. And so you relent, just a little, shimmying along with his efforts and letting him work your panties all the way off without any more snags. “So much easier when you cooperate,” Ubbe notes.

“But where’s the fun in that?” You scoot up like you’re trying to escape again.

His palm slams you down, pushing you into the pillows piled up at the top of your neatly-made bed. Well, it was neatly made. Ubbe’s rumpling it pretty thoroughly now. This time his hand is bridging your collarbone, pressure teasing your neck. It’s enough to make you go completely still, and drop your consciousness into sub-mode as you savor the dominance of the gesture.

With your guard finally down, Ubbe gets himself tucked nice and tight between your legs. He keeps that solid pressure going on your chest, though, while working to open up his pants.

He makes this noise when he’s close to sinking into you, when you’re fighting like this. It’s a growl but it’s somehow gleeful; a predator who knows he’s inches from getting his jaws around your throat. “You gonna keep fighting?” His teeth graze against the side of your neck. “Or are you gonna make this easier on yourself?’

You choose easier, licking your palm quickly so that when Ubbe drops his cock out of his pants you’re right there to slather some lube on it before he starts working his way into you. Ubbe groans at the feeling of your hand, then spits on his own fingers to return the favor in a hurried swipe across your entrance.

No foreplay in this game. The game is the foreplay. Ubbe has taken to eating you out afterwards, long and slow and luscious. Right now, it’s all about the rush.

You cry out as his blunt head catches a little before finding the right angle to sink in deeper. You all did the responsible thing and got STD tests not too long ago, and now you’re free to bareback it as much as you please. It’s easy to believe Ubbe’s promise to be monogamous for as long as you’re doing it like this. With how often he throws you down and fucks you around here, there’s no way that he’d have anything left for anyone else.

Ubbe’s cock has that kind of width that you never just ‘get used to.’ You’ve gotten better at taking it, as fast and hard as he wants it at times like this, but that first inexorable slide always makes your eyes pop a little. It takes up all your concentration to relax your body and let him stretch you.

Which is probably why you just missed something really important.

Ubbe’s about twenty thrusts in before you can get a hold of yourself enough to stop squealing, to relax the clutching grip of your hands around his shoulders and cross your ankles over the back of his bouncing hips, to get comfortable and open your eyes.

You look over Ubbe’s shoulder to see Ivar leering at you from the door.

It finally happened. He finally caught you. Adrenaline seizes your muscles up tight, locking your legs around Ubbe’s back and making him moan deeper while your own vocal chords freeze.

Ivar’s head wiggles as he leans his shoulder against the doorframe. A single finger comes up to his mouth, in that universal gesture for silence. Then his eyes leave yours to trail over the rest of your body, the sprawl of your thighs bouncing under Ubbe’s heaving back.

He settles in a little deeper, so he doesn’t need to hold himself up with both crutches. His finger leaves his lips and he palms down at his own crotch instead.

Ivar wants to watch.

Tingles burst out across your body as you incorporate the pleasure of Ubbe’s deep dicking with the self-conscious awareness of being on display for your other lover. Ivar can’t see much besides your legs and your eyes so he must—oh fuck—must be in this just to watch the reactions that play across your face.

“Make some noise for me, baby” Ubbe moans against your neck. “You’re so quiet.”

He lifts his head far enough to look at your face, and your eyes snap to his quick, before he thinks you were looking at anything over his shoulder. Ivar is a dark blob in your peripheral vision as you focus on the face of the man who’s fucking you right now. Not the one that’s sure to fuck you twice as thoroughly as soon as this is over.

You make a little sound for Ubbe, somewhere between a squeal and a moan. It’s really all you can produce under this sense of looming doom that might be smiling sadistically from the doorway at you right now.

Ubbe frowns. “I could barely hear that,” he mocks, then grins and adjusts his hips, pulling your thigh up higher around his back. “Guess I gotta hit it a little deeper.”

“Unf,” you cry, unable to hold back as he, true to his word, tries his best to rearrange your guts. You throw your head back and just ride it out, giving him those full-throated groans you know he’s looking for. As far as you can tell, Ivar’s looking for them too. If this is happening, then you might as well go all out with it.

If Ivar wants to stay and watch, then you can’t be in that much trouble. Just pretend trouble. Which is definitely the good kind.

The weight of Ivar’s eyes means about as much as his hands on your body ever could. He’s not even doing anything, and yet, he is absolutely a third lover in this room. The heat of that gaze makes your skin prickle, makes your cunt tighten around Ubbe’s cock and sets you moaning, then screaming through your teeth as you feel your orgasm building hot and thick and all for Ivar and those eyes.

“Fuck,” Ubbe growls, the desperate edge to his voice showing he’s on his edge too, “you feel so good. Can never get enough.”

You can’t, either. Not of either one of them. Ubbe’s pace increases, coming up to that home stretch before he empties himself inside you. And given the delicious, mad pressure building between your thighs, you just might come right along with him.

Ubbe buries his face in the crook of your neck with a long, guttural noise as he hammers out his final, ecstatic thrusts. You’re so close to peaking, too. So—close—just—a—few—more—

Ubbe’s thrusts are slowing but you’ve still got everything you need. You latch wide, desperate eyes on Ivar’s smirking face, using that dirty feeling of knowing you’re being watched, that he’s watching, to push yourself over the edge.

The look in Ivar’s eyes is dark, so dark, as he reaches to the side and, with a shit-eating grin, pushes firmly against the bedroom door. It hits the stopper against the wall with a loud, distinctive sound.

Ubbe freezes, recognizing that someone must have just come in. You make an odd sobbing noise as your impending orgasm melts away.

“I think that is enough.”

Ubbe leans his forehead against your shoulder, exhaling long and hard. With a slow tilt of his hips, he grinds himself deeper into you, one last stubborn farewell to the pussy. He brings his mouth up close enough to whisper in your ear. “Uh oh. You finally got caught.” As he pulls away, you see a new kind of eagerness on his sweaty face.

He always did want to know what your punishment was going to be.

“I will take it from here, Ubbe.”

There are times that Ubbe Lothbrok can be stubborn; an alpha male with his own plan and need to assert himself upon a situation. Right after he’s blown his load is not one of those times. He pulls himself out of you in one long, slow swipe and tucks his softening cock right back into his pants. His eyes flick over the disheveled sprawl of your body underneath him, a prideful smile curling his lip, and then he straightens up and off your bed. “She’s all yours.”

Ivar struts forward, head waggling as his crutches carry him swiftly to the edge of the bed. You close your legs modestly, but his hand clamps down on your thigh, holding you open for him. “I told you never to let me catch you.” The look on his face is positively wicked.

All you can do is whimper, still flushed and half-crazed with your need to come.

“And yet, you left the door open. Like you wanted me to see.” He starts smacking at your inner thighs, quick, precise little swats, holding your legs spread when you twitch and try to protect yourself reflexively. “Stay. Open.”

You can only imagine what Ivar is seeing, your naked pussy swollen, needy, and leaking cum. It’s almost unbearable. His smacks turn to flicks of his strong fingers as he moves closer in toward your center, alternating sides and just watching you force yourself to keep your legs open.

Then comes the slap you had been anticipating, right on your clit. You cry out, surprised how much you like the feeling. Maybe it’s only because you were just on the brink, but after the sharp pain recedes a fresh rush of arousal suffuses you and you sob. “Ivar, please.”

He pauses. “Please, what?”

“Please let me come.”

He raises one heavy brow. “That’s all you can say? Unrepentant to the end, I see. Well then, dirty girl, if that’s what you want your punishment to be…” His hand covers your mound, thumb finding your needy clit. He rubs one single, glorious circle, then stops. His head swivels. “Ubbe. Did you think you get to watch? Out.”

* * *

You’re going to pass out. Mercy, please, there’s no way that you can handle another orgasm. Ivar’s got your muscles clenching, the sheets soaked, your legs trapped around his body and your pussy stuffed with the third vibrator he’s decided to try. He’s even got another one vibrating right against your asshole, just to give you ideas about other sins he might have in store for you. Pleasure runs like a raging river, unrelenting. Every time you try to catch your gasping breath, Ivar raises the flood.

“Come on, greedy girl,” Ivar coaxes, his voice husky after all the effort he’s spent working you over. “Surely you can’t quit before orgasm number eight.” He changes something down there and all you can do is wail like an animal as he somehow makes you feel more full than ever. And then his finger returns to your clit. He’s just about got this down to a science, after so many experimental trials here in your darkened bedroom. Fuck you with the toy, change the vibration every few minutes so your body can’t get used to it, tease your asshole and press down on your clit juuuuust so.

It’s starting to feel like he knows the angles your body likes better than you do. He’s turned your clitoris against you, co-opting that magic button into something he can press on his whim to make you explode in another spine-shaking climax. This time, you come so hard you see spots blooming in front of your vision.

Something must have changed in your voice as that last one crashed over you. This time, Ivar does not immediately start re-tuning the machine, gearing your body up to start the cycle all over again for number nine. Instead his hand falls steady and warm, covering your shuddering sex with a reassuring stillness as he leans in over you. His voice is low as he comes close enough for you to meet his drowning eyes in the dark. “Mercy?”

“Mercy.” You can barely say it. You barely have a voice left after all the ecstatic screams he’s forced across your throat.

Ivar makes a soothing sound, one that rings in your ears like the most beautiful, reassuring thing you’ve ever heard. He’s letting it end. You made it all the way through; you didn’t have to stop him. You lasted until he offered. That had been the goal your submissive soul clung to as he took your body through just about every pleasure it could handle. He reaches down to click off the vibrations. You sigh as he slips the last toy out of your body. “You did so good for me.”

He covers your pussy with his hand again. It feels immensely comforting, stillness and steady reassurance after all that thrusting and vibration. You let all the remaining tension drain out against his palm as you close your eyes and let yourself come slowly back to something approximating reality.

The next thing you’re aware of is Ivar coaxing your head up higher on the pillows. “Drink,” he says softly, putting a water bottle in your hands and guiding it up to your lips. “I wrung you out pretty good.”

The water is cool and extremely welcome. You want to make a joke about how little moisture you must have left in your body, after all that, but slaking your thirst is so much more important.

Rolling your blanket around you, Ivar lays down to cuddle beside your exhausted body after taking the water bottle away. You never would have guessed, before all this, what an avid snuggler Ivar Lothbrok is. He seems to crave your body against his own, after these intense sessions. He pulls you in tight against him. “We could take a shower, if you want,” he offers.

“I don’t think I can move.”

His chuckle is indulgent. “Fair enough.” He snuggles his cheek in a little closer. “Let me know if you need anything.”

So. He’s not fucking you today, either. Not that this even feels like the right time for your first time…it’s just something that’s been on your mind. Maybe it makes you old-fashioned, but it just feels like he hasn’t fully claimed you yet. Part of you kind of thought that once he caught you with Ubbe, that might have been what he was waiting for, to make you absolutely his. But this doesn’t feel like a turning point at all. Nothing he had said indicated that he did not like seeing you that way, or that he expected you to stop fucking Ubbe now. It’s always just been another game.

Which suits you just fine. You wonder if you will ever have a chance of getting bored in this apartment.

Your meandering thoughts are interrupted by the sound of Ivar’s phone, a quick, chirping notification.

He shifts lazily to check it when it chirps a second time. A short bark of a laugh rumbles out of him a moment later.

“What?”

Ivar rolls back to show you his screen. The text message is from Hvitserk, who you know to be another one of his brothers.

Be in town tomorrow

gonna crash in Sigurd’s room

“Looks like someone else wants in your bed,” Ivar croons at you.

You know that Hvitserk just doesn’t know that the apartment has acquired a new roommate, but you get a funny feeling deep inside your overstimulated body, anyway.

“Maybe I should tie you up naked tomorrow,” Ivar continues, voice low and teasing as he nips at your ear. “Leave you right here as a gift for him to find when he arrives. Haven’t seen him in a while, I’m sure I missed a birthday somewhere in there.” He grins at whatever he sees in your face. “If you need another lesson about what greedy girls get.” His finger taps you affectionately, right on the nose.

Next Chapter

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[whumpcollector]

Project CHIMERA Pt.1: A New Age

Hey everyone. I’ve had this little project stewing for a long while. I’m experimenting with the writing style and such so please give me any feedback you have! (Also formatting this thing has been a nightmare so if anything comes off as difficult to read please lmk and ill fix it)

TW: Dehumanization. Themes of imperialism. Descriptions of blood and injury.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dr. Yarru’s Personal Log

Entry 1

Date: Celendor 3, 991

It is a glorious day. Truly it is. Today marks the beginning of project CHIMERA. I have been assigned to lead this project by Emperor Vystlat himself, an honor I intend to prove myself worthy of. The equipment is still being set up and the facility brought to full function, but within the week we will be able to begin the production of the first batch of clones. All going well we will have our first subjects by the end of Celendor.This will be a new age for the empire.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Yarru’s Personal Log

Entry 4

Date: Celendor 12, 991

The first batch of clones are growing better than anticipated. Within two days they have already passed the embryonic stages and have reached infancy. If this rate continues they will be juveniles within three days at most, and we will be able to begin the initial stages of CHIMERA ahead of schedule. This is better than I ever could have hoped for. Soon the need for the empire’s children to die in order to spread our prosperity will be gone. Soon, the glory of the empire will go uncontested.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------           

                                   ---Security Clearance Level: 5---

Official Report of Progress: Project CHIMERA

Date: Celendor 12, 991

My glorious Emperor Vystalt,I am more than pleased to report that project CHIMERA’s progress has been greater than I ever anticipated. The first batch of clones have reached the juvenile stage and are being awoken as I write this report. After a day of acclimation we will be able to begin their training. Initial physiological tests have revealed that cell growth rates and immune system responses are greatly enhanced compared to the average human’s. With further research we may be able to adapt these properties to other medical fields. While I do not wish to get ahead of myself, the prospective avenues of research are truly promising.

I shall personally inform you of any and all major developments.

May our glory shine upon the world,

-Dr.Archimedes Yarru

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Dr. Yarru’s Personal Log

Entry 6

Date: Celendor 13, 991

It appears that our genetic manipulation has worked a bit...too well. These clones are not the blank slates that we had anticipated, but have managed to develop personalities during their time in incubation. The good news is that the information we imprinted them with during the incubation phase has stuck as well. We won’t need to teach them the basics. In theory their training can continue as normal, but some issues have reared their ugly heads. We are already receiving resistance to the idea of training from some of the subjects, and an alarming amount of them have developed dispositions that aren’t exactly compatible with being a soldier. Still, this is a minor setback at most and I have been assured by the training staff that things will progress as intended. I hope they know what they’re doing, but the emperor chose them personally so they must be good at their job.

Despite this hiccup I can’t help but be hopeful for the future. Every other aspect of CHIMERA has gone off without a hitch. I’m already seeing promising results from my initial tests of the clone’s blood and muscle cells. I will have to study them closer to get better results, but that will come in time.

Damn it's been 22 hours since I last slept. I should probably do that now.

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Celendor-15-991

To: allstaff

Subject: Plans going forward and clarification of CHIMERA details

It has come to my attention that there has been some confusion throughout the staff, both due to the unforeseen personalities of the clones and with general project protocol. Allow me to rectify these issues here.

[1] The classification of all subjects are as follows. Please remember this to avoid any failures of communication in the future.

Stage gamma: Subjects in the initial stages of testing. They will physically resemble adolescents, generally ages 12-15.

Stage beta: Subjects that are through initial training stages and have been curated into specified roles to receive specialized training. They will also reach physical maturity, resembling 20-22 year olds before their biological development and aging slows.

Stage alpha: Subjects that have finished training and are capable of being sent into the field.

Note: The ages attached to each stage are to provide a reference point to help identify subjects at a glance. Subject’s early rapid aging and the subsequent cessation of said aging makes any attempts at estimating age past a certain point futile. Please refrain from doing so

Addendum: This also means that there will be no attempts at assigning or recognizing birthdays. Yes Arthur, we mean you. Sate your addiction to cake on your own time

[2] Despite the unintended development of personality within subjects all current training protocols and methods will be utilized. The head of the training staff has asked that I pass along this message 

    *[While I understand that these new developments may be difficult to handle for some of you, it is imperative to remember that these clones are not people. They are more akin to automatons or even puppets. There will likely be many attempts to resist our training, do not waver. These clones are meant to be the bulwark of the empire. They need to be forged and tempered into weapons of war. If that requires us to break them first we must accept that. Use a heavy hand, accept not disobedience, and do whatever it takes to ensure the compliance of the clones.

                                                                                            Taskmaster Grestin]

[3] Remember that project CHIMERA is still in experimental phases. The genetic makeup, physiology, and even mental development and reception to training will vary from batch to batch and even subject to subject. Adapting to such differences will be crucial to ensuring progress of the project. If you happen to notice any abnormal physiological phenomena or behavioral anomalies please report to me. While these subjects are meant to be made into soldiers for the empire they also provide a plethora of opportunities for other fields of research. Within that vein, please refrain from killing the subjects. I understand that taskmaster Grestin’s previous statement emphasizes the importance of discipline but please, do show some restraint when possible. Creating these subjects is currently an expensive and, quite frankly, unreliable process despite our initial success. There is a reason this first batch only consists of 10 subjects. Please do not lower that number.  

                                                                                        -Dr. Archimedes Yarru

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Dr. Yarru’s Personal Log

Entry 9

Date: Celendor 19, 991

Well Grestin has definitely earned the title taskmaster. I get that any training intended to produce super soldiers is going to be intense but, damn. I’m almost worried that she’ll kill the subjects long before they get into stage beta. Hopefully I’m just being overly anxious. I trust that Grestin won’t push them too harshly too quickly.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Medical Report: Subject Gamma-A-8

Date of Admission: Celendor-20-991

Subject Gamma-A-8 was submitted to the facility infirmary at 8:26 AM on the 20th of month Celendor, year 991 by staff member Jules Armidin. Subject Gamma-A-8 was admitted due to severe injury and physical exhaustion. A complete list of afflictions has been attached to the report.

After initial treatments Subject Gamma-A-8 has been stabilized and is currently recovering. It is estimated the subject will be fully recovered within 10-14 days with no long term injuries or afflictions.

Attached - Trauma_Report_GAMMMAA8   

[ Subject Gamma-A-8

Muscle tearing located in the left and right biceps, triceps, and pectorals

Hairline fractures located in the left ulna, left and right radius, and sternum

Compound fracture located at the tibia

Eye spasms indicative of long term sleep deprivation Mild concussion

General bruising located across the arms, legs, and abdomen

Lacerations across the back                                                       ]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Yarru’s Personal Log

Entry 10

Date: Celendor 20, 991

At least the subject didn’t die. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr Yarru’s Personal Log.

Entry 11

Date: Celendor 21, 991

Well if anything at least I have been able to study how the subject’s body responds to physiological trauma. The results are nothing short of remarkable. Almost all of the major injuries have been healed to the point of not impairing the body's functions, including bone fractures. I was as shocked as the doctors when a compound fracture seemingly mended itself overnight. It hasn’t fully healed, but the subject is capable of moving the leg to a degree, which is still nothing short of amazing. Accelerated Healing was something that was coded into their base genetics but this is more than what we could have ever expected.

I wonder if this trait is shared by all subjects or if Gamma-A-8 is a special case. Perhaps Grestin’s methods will prove fruitful in more ways than one.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr Yarru’s Personal Log

Entry 14

Date: Celendor 28, 991

It has been less than one month since the beginning of project CHIMERA and the results are already beyond my wildest dreams. Despite my initial reservations almost every subject has taken to the training regimen, no doubt due to Grestin’s expertise.

Note to self: Don’t piss her off

Subject Gamma-A-8 has had a difficult time keeping up with the other subjects. Despite the subject’s remarkable natural healing it seems unable to match the raw strength and speed the other subjects possess. I am hopeful that it will be able to catch up, or at least be able to function adequately in whatever role it is assigned. If not, well, 90% success rate is still more than acceptable given the circumstances.

I feel as if I have gathered as much data as I can working on the peripheries. Blood samples and medical reports are all well and good but they can only get me so far. I haven’t had a chance to interact with any of the subjects thus far. I think it's about time that I change that.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tags: @haro-whumps @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi

[alwaysmarilynmonroe]

Today is a very special day, it’s Marilyn’s Birthday! Can you believe that if she were still alive,  Marilyn would have been turning 94 years old today – just two months younger than the Queen herself! With each year I always try and write a special post about this amazing woman, who has helped me so much and achieved more than anyone could have imagined in her 36 years. Therefore, I decided to write 94 facts about the Birthday Girl – some you may know, some you may not, all in the hope that genuine things will be learnt and the real Marilyn will be more understood and appreciated.

Gladys and baby Norma Jeane spend some quality time together on the beach in 1929.

Little Norma Jeane, aged seven, in 1933.

Norma Jeane photographed by David Conover whilst working at the Radio Plane Munitions Factory in either the Fall of 1944 or Spring of 1945.

Norma Jeane by Andre de Dienes in late 1945.

Marilyn by Richard Miller in 1946.

Marilyn on Tobey Beach by Andre de Dienes on July 23rd 1949.

Marilyn by Ed Clark in Griffith Park in August 1950.

Marilyn attends a Party in Ray Anthony’s home, organized by 20th Century Fox on August 3rd 1952.

Marilyn filming The Seven Year Itch on location in New York City by Sam Shaw on September 13th 1954.

Marilyn by Milton Greene on January 28th 1955.

Marilyn by Cecil Beaton on February 22nd 1956. This was her favourite photo of herself.

Marilyn attending the Premiere of The Prince In The Showgirl at the Radio City Music Hall on June 13th 1957.

Marilyn by Carl Perutz on June 16th 1958.

Marilyn by Philippe Halsman for LIFE Magazine in October 1959.

Marilyn attends a Benefit for The Actors Studio at the Roseland Dance City on March 13th 1961.

Marilyn on Santa Monica Beach for Cosmopolitan Magazine by George Barris on July 1st 1962.

______________________________________________________________________________

1.  Stood at a height of 5’5½”

2.  Born in the charity ward of the Los Angeles County Hospital at 9:30 AM on June 1st 1926.

3.  Married three times;

– Jim Dougherty: (June 19th 1942 – September 13th 1946) – Joe Dimaggio: (January 14th 1954 – 31st October 1955) (Temporary divorce granted on October 27th 1954) – Arthur Miller: (June 29th 1956 – January 20th 1961).

4. Suffered two confirmed miscarriages; an ectopic pregnancy on August 1st 1957 and miscarriage in December 16th 1958.

5. Suffered with endometriosis very badly, so much so that she had a clause in her contract which stated she would be unable to work whilst menstruating.

6. Starred in 30 films – her last being uncompleted.

7. Favourite of her own performances was as Angela Phinlay in The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

8. Winner of three Golden Globes; two for World Film Favourite – Female in 1954 and 1962 and one for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for her performance as Sugar Kane in Some Like It Hot (1959) in 1960.

9. Her idol was the first Platinum Blonde Bombshell, Jean Harlow.

10. Amassed a collection of over 400 books in her library, ranging from Russian Literature to Psychology.

11. Favourite perfume was Chanel No.5

12. Had two half siblings; Robert “Jackie” Baker (1918 – 1933) and Bernice Miracle (1919) – the former she would never have the chance to meet and Bernice was not informed about Marilyn until she was 19 years old.

13. Former Actor and 20th Century Fox Studio Executive, Ben Lyon created the name Marilyn Monroe in December 1946 – Marilyn after fellow Actress, Marilyn Miller and Monroe after Marilyn’s mother’s maiden name. Ironically enough, Ben starred with Jean Harlow, in her breakout movie, Hell’s Angels (1930).

14. Legally changed her name to Marilyn Monroe ten years later, on February 23rd 1956.

15. Attended The Actors Studio.

16. Third woman to start her own Film Production Company – the first being Lois Weber in 1917 and the second being Mary Pickford in 1919.

17. First had her hair bleached in January 1946 at the Frank & Joseph Salon by Beautician Sylvia Barnhart, originally intended for a Shampoo Advert.

18. Contrary to popular belief, she was technically a natural blonde, not a redhead or brunette. She was born with platinum hair and was very fair until just before her teen years. Her sister described her with having dark blonde hair upon their first meeting in 1944.

19. Another myth debunked – she had blue eyes, not brown.

20. Was one of the few women in the 1950s to use weights when exercising.

21. Wore jeans before it was considered acceptable for women.

22. Her famous mole was real – albeit skin coloured, so she emphasized it using a brown eye pencil.

23. Was a Step-Mother in two of her three marriages to three children – Joe Dimaggio Jr. and Bobby and Jane Miller.

24. Found out she landed the lead role in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) on her 26th Birthday.

25. Another huge myth dispelled – only actually met President Kennedy four times from 1961 – 1962. Three of them were at public events, with the last being her performance at Madison Square Garden. One of them was at Bing Crosby’s Palm Spring house with various people, so at most (which again, is very unlikely) they had a one night stand – nothing more and nothing less.

26. Was the first Playboy Cover Girl, although she did not actually pose for them, nor give permission for them to be used. Hugh Hefner bought the photograph from a Chicago Calendar Company for $500 and the two never met.

27. Speaking of Playboy, the photo was taken by Photographer Tom Kelley on May 27th 1951 and Marilyn made a total of $50 for the photo shoot. The most famous photo then went on to cause a national sensation after being sold to the Calendar Baumgarth Company and became known as, “Golden Dreams“.

28. In 1955 it was estimated that over four million copies of the Calendar had been sold.

29. Favourite singers were Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. 

30. Attended the Academy Awards Ceremony only once on March 29th 1951 and presented the award for “Best Sound Recording” to Thomas Moulton for All About Eve (1951) which she also starred in.

31. Performed ten shows over four days to over 100,000 soldiers and marines in Korea in February 1954 – she actually ended up catching pneumonia because it was so cold.

32. Was one of the few Stars who had Director Approval in their Contracts. Some of the names included were, John Huston, Elia Kazan, Alfred Hitchcock, George Stevens, William Wyler, Joshua Logan and Sir Carol Reed.

33. Was pregnant during the filming of Some Like It Hot (1959) – filming finished on November 7th 1958 and she miscarried the following month on December 16th.

34. Featured on the cover of LIFE Magazine seven times during her lifetime;

– April 7th 1952 – May 25th 1953 – July 8th 1957 (International Edition) – April 20th 1959 – November 9th 1959 – August 15th 1960 – June 22nd 1962

35. Favourite bevarage was Dom Perignon 1953 Champagne.

36. By the time of her death, her films had grossed over $200 million, when adjusted for inflation that is the equivalent of $2 billion in 2019.

37. Designer, William Travilla dressed Marilyn for seven of her films, two (*) of them received Oscar Nominations in, “Best Costume/Design, Color“;

– Monkey Business (1952) – Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) – How To Marry A Millionaire (1953) * – River Of No Return (1954) – There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954) * – The Seven Year Itch (1955) – Bus Stop (1956)

38. Spent 21 months of her childhood at the Los Angeles Orphanage, from September 13th 1935 until June 7th 1937.

39. Was one of the first Stars to speak out about child abuse, with her story appearing in movie magazines as early as 1954.

40. Fostered by her grandmother’s neighbours, Ida and Albert Bolender, for the first seven years of her life.

41. Lived in England for four months, during the period of filming for The Prince and The Showgirl (1957) from July 14th 1956 – November 20th 1956.

42. Her Production Company, Marilyn Monroe Productions produced only one film, The Prince and The Showgirl (1957) based on Terrance Rattigan’s play, The Sleeping Prince.

43. Was photographed by Earl Theisen in October 1952 wearing a potato sack dress after being criticized by the press for her outfit choice at The Henrietta Awards in January 1952. A journalist wrote that Marilyn was “insignificant and vulgar“and “even in a potato bag, it would have been more elegant.“

44. Was a huge supporter of LGBT+ rights, saying the following quote about fellow actor and friend, Montgomery Clift to journalist W.J. Weatherby in 1960,

“I was remembering Monty Clift. People who aren’t fit to open the door for him sneer at his homosexuality. What do they know about it? Labels–people love putting labels on each other. Then they feel safe. People tried to make me into a lesbian. I laughed. No sex is wrong if there’s love in it.”

45. Her measurements were listed as the following by her Dressmakers; 35-22-35 and 36-24-24 by The Blue Book  Modelling Agency. For the majority of her life she weighed between 117-120 pounds, with her weight fluctuating around 15 pounds, during and after her pregnancies (1957-1960), although her waist never ventured past 28.5 inches and her dress size today would be a UK Size 6-8 and a US Size 2-4 as she was a vintage Size 12.

46. Her famous white halter dress from The Seven Year Itch (1955) sold for $4.6 million ($5.6 million including auction fees) on June 18th 2011, which was owned by Debbie Reynolds. The “Happy Birthday Mr. President Dress” originally held the record for the most expensive dress, when it was sold on October 27th 1999 for $1.26 million. It then went on to be resold for $4.8 million on November 17th 2016, thus regaining it’s original achievement.

47. Was discovered by Photographer, David Conover, whilst working in The Radio Plane Munitions Factory in the Fall of 1944 or Spring of 1945, depending on sources.

48. Now known as the, “Me Too” movement, Marilyn was one of the first Stars to speak out on the, “Hollywood Wolves” in a 1953 article for Motion Picture Magazine entitled, “Wolves I Have Known”. The most famous incident being with the Head of Columbia Studios, Harry Cohn, who requested Marilyn join him on his yacht for a weekend away in Catalina Island. Marilyn asked if his wife would be joining them, which, as you can imagine – did not go down well and her contract was not renewed with the Studio. Marilyn made only one film with Columbia during her six month contract, this being Ladies Of The Chorus (1948) which was shot in just ten days!

49. Loved animals dearly and adopted a variety of pets over the years. These included a basset hound called Hugo and parakeets, Clyde, Bobo and Butch with Husband Arthur Miller.  A number of cats including a persian breed called Mitsou in 1955 and Sugar Finney in 1959. Her most famous pet was gifted to her in March or April of 1961 by friend, Frank Sinatra, a little white maltese named Maf. His full name was Mafia Honey, as a humorous reference to Sinatra’s alleged connections to the Mob. After Marilyn’s death, Maf went to live with Frank Sinatra’s secretary, Gloria Lovell.

50. The book she was reading at the time of her death was Harper Lee’s, To Kill A Mocking Bird.

51. One of the movies she starred in was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and won, this being All About Eve (1950) at The 23rd Academy Awards on March 29th 1951. It ended up being nominated for 14 Oscars, a record at the time and has only been matched by Titanic (1997) and La La Land (2016).

52. Her first magazine cover was photographed by Andre de Dienes in December 1945 for Family Circle, released on April 26th 1946.

53. Joined The William Morris Agency on December 7th 1948.

54. Was right handed, not left as often believed.

55. Third Husband Arthur Miller wrote the screenplay for Marilyn’s last completed film, The Misfits (1961) which was originally written as a short story for Esquire Magazine in 1957. After the tragic ectopic pregnancy Marilyn endured in August of 1957, friend and Photographer, Sam Shaw suggested to Miller he alter his short story specifically for her. Ironically the making of this film culminated in their divorce and Marilyn stating,

“He could have written me anything and he comes up with this. If that’s what he thinks of me then I’m not for him and he’s not for me.” 56. Was Author, Truman Capote’s original choice for the role of Holly Golightly in Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961) however, she was advised to turn it down by her Acting Coach, Paula Strasberg, who did not think the role of a prostitute would be good for her image. Writer George Axelrod, who wrote the Screenplay for Bus Stop (1956) and the play, The Seven Year Itch, ironically ended up being the Screenwriter for this movie.

Capote said this regarding Marilyn,

“I had seen her in a film and thought she would be perfect for the part. Holly had to have something touching about her . . . unfinished. Marilyn had that.”

57. Second Husband Joe Dimaggio had The Parisian Florists deliver red roses on Marilyn’s grave twice a week, for twenty years, from August 1962 until September 1982. Marilyn had told him how William Powell used to do this for Jean Harlow after her death and he reportedly vowed to do the same after their Wedding Ceremony. After the 20 years he then donated to a children’s charity, as he thought it would be a nice way to honour her memory. They also created the flower arrangements for her casket at her funeral.

58. The following five Directors directed Marilyn in more than one movie;

– John Huston; The Asphalt Jungle (1950) and The Misfits (1961) – Richard Sale;  A Ticket To Tomahawk (1950) and Let’s Make It Legal (1951) – Howard Hawks; Monkey Business (1952) and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) – Billy Wilder; The Seven Year Itch (1955) and Some Like It Hot (1959) – George Cukor; Let’s Make Love (1960) and Something’s Got To Give (1962)

59. Was an illegitimate child, which unfortunately was attached with a lot of stigma in the 1920s. Her mother, Gladys, listed her then husband Edward Mortenson on the Birth Certificate, although it is commonly accepted that her real father was Charles Stanley Gifford, as Gladys left Edward on May 26th 1925. Gladys had an affair with him, which ended when she announced her pregnancy and he never acknowledged or met Marilyn, although she tried multiple times over the years to speak with him. 

60. Stayed in a number of foster homes during her childhood,

– George and Emma Atkinson; February 1934 – September 1934 – Enid and Sam Knebelcamp; Fall of 1934 – Harvey and Elsie Giffen; January 1935 – March 1935 – Grace and “Doc” Goddard; April 1935 – September 1935 and June 1937 – November 1937 and end of 1940 – February 1942 – Ida Martin; November 1937 – August 1938 – “Aunt Ana” Lower; August 1938  – End of 1940 and February 1942 

61. Had her hand and footprints immortalized in cement at Graumans Chinese Theatre on June 26th 1953, with Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) co-star, Jane Russell. Marilyn would place a rhinestone in the dot of the letter “i” as a reference to her character, “Lorelei Lee” but it was sadly stolen. This was an incredibly special moment for her, as she often talked about placing her hands and feet in the many prints there, when she spent her weekends at the Theatre as a child, especially in 1933 and 1934.

“When I was younger, I used to go to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and try to fit my foot in the prints in the cement there. And I’d say “Oh, oh, my foots too big. I guess that’s out.” I did have a funny feeling later when I finally put my foot down into that wet cement, I sure knew what it really meant to me, anything’s possible, almost.”

62. The famous gold lamé dress worn in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and designed by William Travilla, was deemed too risqué by the censors. Unfortunately for fans, this meant that the musical number, “Down Boy” was cut from the film and we only glimpse a few seconds of the dress from behind, on screen.

63. Due to the censors, the original, “Diamond’s Are A Girl’s Best Friend” costume was changed to the now iconic pink dress with black bow. Originally it was to be a diamond encrusted two piece, which was extremely daring for the then Motion Picture Hays Code.

64. Loved Erno Lazlo Skin Cream, Vaseline and Nivea Moisturizer.

65. Had she completed Something’s Got To Give (1962), Marilyn would have been the first Star in a major Motion Picture to appear nude on film. As she passed before it was completed the achievement went to fellow Blonde Bombshell, Jayne Mansfield in, Promises! Promises (1963).

66. Met Queen Elizabeth II in England at the Empire Theater in Leicester Square whilst attending the Premiere of, “The Battle Of The River Plate“ on October 29th 1956.

67. The Misfits (1961) was both Marilyn and Clark Gable’s last completed films. Clark died 12 days after filming finished, on November 16th 1960. The film was released on Clark’s would be 60th Birthday, February 1st 1961 and Marilyn passed 18 months later.

68. As Marilyn died before the completion of Something’s Got To Give (1962) it ended up being remade with Doris Day and James Garner, entitled, Move Over Darling! (1963). The film was originally intended to be a remake of, My Favourite Wife (1940) which starred Cary Grant.

69. Signed a recording contract with RCA Records on September 1st 1953. One of her songs from River of No Return (1954) entitled, “File My Claim” sold 75,000 copies in its first three weeks of release.

70. Was admitted to the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic on February 10th 1961 by her then Psychiatrist, Marianne Kris. Originally thought to be for rest and rehabilitation, following her divorce from Arthur Miller and the strain of filming The Misfits. However, Marilyn was placed on the security ring and held against her will. Thankfully, she was able to contact ex Husband, Joe Dimaggio, who stated he would, “Take the hospital apart brick by brick” if she was not released and after three days of emotional trauma, she left.

71. Visited the following Countries;

– Canada – (July – August 1953) – Japan (February 1954) – Korea (Feburary 1954) – England (July – November 1956) – Jamaica (January 1957) – Mexico (February 1962)

72. Purchased her only home, 12305 Fifth Helena Drive on February 8th 1962, where she would tragically pass just under 6 months later.

73. The home had the following tile located on the front paving entrance saying, “cursum perficio” meaning, “my journey ends here.” The title is still there to this day.

74. Her final interview was published in LIFE Magazine on August 3rd 1962 and was written by Richard Meryman.

75. Aside from her millions of fans, had a staunch group of supporters affectionately known as, “The Monroe Six” who followed Marilyn around New York during her time there. Their nickname for Marilyn was, “Mazzie” and they became so acquainted that Marilyn actually once invited them for a picnic at her home.

76. First married at just sixteen years old, this was to avoid returning to the Orphanage she had spent almost two years in as a child.

77. Supported numerous charity events, most famously riding a pink elephant in Madison Square Garden, to support the Arthritis and Rheumatic Affections Association on March 30th 1955.

78. Left 25% of her Estate to her then Psychiatrist, Marianne Kris and 75% to mentor and friend, Lee Strasberg. For reference, her Will was last updated on January 1961 – a month before she entered the Payne Whitney Hospital on the advice of Marianne Kris.

79. At the time of it’s release, The Misfits (1961) turned out to be the most expensive black and white movie ever made, costing a budget of $4 million dollars.

80. The Premiere of The Seven Year Itch was held on her 29th Birthday, on June 1st 1955, she attended with ex Husband, Joe Dimaggio.

81. Laid to rest at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery on August 8th 1962 at 1:00 PM, with friend and mentor Lee Strasberg delivering the Eulogy. 

82. Although so often associated with diamonds, actually wasn’t that fond of jewellery stating, “People always ask me if I believe diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Frankly, I don’t.” 

83. Spent her 36th Birthday filming Something’s Got To Give (1962) and then attending a Charity Event for muscular dystrophy at the Chavez Ravin Dodger Stadium, which also happened to be her last public appearance.

84. Whilst recovering in hospital from an appendectomy in April 1952, Marilyn asked long time Makeup Artist and friend, Allan “Whitey” Snyder to do her makeup, should she pass before him. She gave him a gold money clip with the inscription, “Whitey Dear, while I’m still warm, Marilyn” and he did fulfill this promise to her.

85. Converted to Judaism for third husband, Arthur Miller on July 1st 1956.

86. Despite appearing in 30 films, she only actually dies in one, that being her breakout movie, Niagara (1953) where her character Rose Loomis, is strangled by her Husband George, played by Joseph Cotten.

87. Moved to New York City in 1955 and attended The Actors Studio, after breaking her Film Contract with 20th Century Fox. This was for a number of reasons, mainly years of low pay, unsatisfactory scripts and lack of creative control. A new contract would finally be reinstated on December 31st.

88. Repurchased a white Baby Grand Piano that her mother, Gladys, owned during their time living together in 1933. After Marilyn passed it would then be sold at the Christies Auction of her Estate in 1999 to none other than, Mariah Carey for $632,500.

89. Wore long hair pieces in River of No Return (1954) and a medium length wig in The Misfits (1961). The first I can only assume was due to the time period and setting of a Western and the second was due to the bleach damage her hair had suffered. After the filming in 1960, she wore the wig a couple of times in public events and then reverted back to her normal hair.

90. Like all students, it was tradition to perform in front of each other in The Actors Studio and on February 17th 1955, Marilyn acted out a scene from “Anna Christie” with Maureen Stapleton. Although it was an unwritten rule that students were not meant to applaud one another, an eruption of cheers and clapping happened after Marilyn had finished.

“Everybody who saw that says that it was not only the best work Marilyn ever did, it was some of the best work ever seen at Studio, and certainly the best interpretation of Anna Christie anybody ever saw. She achieved real greatness in that scene.”

– Actor Ellen Burstyn, on recalling Marilyn’s performance.

91. Used the pseudonym, “Zelda Zonk“, when trying to remain incognito.

92. Marilyn’s mother, Gladys Baker, suffered from Paranoid Schizophrenia and after various stays in institutions, was declared insane on January 15th 1935, when Marilyn was just 8 years old. After 10 years she was released and managed to retain various cleaning jobs and had developed an intense interest in Christian Science. However, by 1951 she was back in various institutions and would stay in the Rockhaven Sanitarium until 1967. Even after death, Marilyn continued to cover her mother’s care payments and Gladys would go on to outlive her for 22 years.

93. Favourite photograph of herself was taken by Cecil Beaton on February 22nd 1956.

94. Last professional photos were taken by Bert Stern, famously known as “The Last Sitting” for Vogue Magazine on June 23rd, July 10th and 12th 1962. Allan Grant took the LIFE Magazine interview pictures in her home, on July 4th and 9th 1962. Whilst George Barris took his photos for Cosmopolitan Magazine, the previous weekend on the 29th and 30th of June, until July 1st 1962. ______________________________________________________________________________

To those of you who took the time to read through all 3000+ words, thank you! It truly means more to me than you know and I really hope it’s shed some light on the truly special person Marilyn was and made you hold a good thought for her on her big day.

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For inquiries or collaborations contact me at;

meganmonroes@icloud.com

Happy 94th Birthday Marilyn! Today is a very special day, it's Marilyn's Birthday! Can you believe that if she were still alive,  Marilyn would have been turning 94 years old today - just two months younger than the Queen herself!

[needtherapy]

soaring, carried aloft on the wind...continued 16

A story for Xichen and Mingjue, in another time and another place.

The Beifeng, the mighty empire of the north, invaded more than a year ago, moving inexorably south and east.

In order to buy peace, the chief of the Lan clan has given the Beifeng warlord a gift, his second oldest son in marriage. However, when Xichen finds out he makes a plan.

He, too, can give a gift to the Beifeng warlord, and he will not regret it.

Part 1: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13  Part 2: 14 / 15 / 16 … HOME

It’s complete on AO3 here.

Notes: Check the tags if you’re concerned about the pairings ;)

For translations of the entirely fictitious Beifeng language, you’ll have to scroll to notes. I’m only going to translate something that’s not clear in the text. Sadly, there’s just not any other good way to do it on Tumblr!

Chapter 16 Now

It rains for a week as spring approaches, great sheets of water that turn the Ikarahu camp into rivers of mud. Everyone is miserable, dirty, and fractious. Huaisang and Guangyao get into an argument that ends in shouting, and they stop talking to each other for three days, taking turns complaining to Xichen. Even Mingjue seems altered—pensive and solemn, his boisterous affection distracted by thoughts he doesn’t share. Xichen spends most of his time reading and avoiding people, huddling under blankets by his warm brazier.

But once the storms pass and all the water seeps back into the ground, the end of winter turns sunny and clear, as if the gods are apologizing for their earlier tantrum.

After so many days inside, Xichen welcomes Huaisang’s suggestion of a day’s ride into the foothills to the west of the camp. He’s aware that there is likely a secondary reason for the suggestion—with Huaisang, there is rarely only one reason—but the chance to feel the wind on his face overrides any care he has for Huaisang’s schemes.

They are a larger group than Xichen expected: himself, Huaisang, Guangyao, Qingyang, Titakau, and three guards. But of course they would need guards. Even Huaisang would not be so incautious as to risk their safety, and now that he considers it, three guards seems like fewer than Mingjue would have insisted on. Xichen wonders if Huaisang made his brother aware of his plans.

After only a few minutes of riding, a rolling canter that, on Liebing’s light feet, feels almost as smooth as walking, Xichen slows at the sound of pounding hoofbeats behind them.

“Aurakat! Wingani! Roka eneti di eta hira om ga tega ehi heromu,” Mingjue yells, pulling up his horse in front of Huaisang and forcing him to stop.

“Three soldiers for four people is plenty, anakau,” Huaisang argues. “Unless you think Xichen is incapable of defending himself.”

It is a low blow, and Xichen has to bite his lip to keep from laughing at Mingjue’s consternation.

“I did mention we were having a picnic. What did you think that meant?” Huaisang asks with a flippant smirk.

“Will you come with us, ahoraho?” Xichen asks, distracting Mingjue, who looks ready to tackle Huasiang off his horse. “If you are not too busy?”

With a huff, Mingjue scowls at Huaisang one more time before falling back to join Xichen. They ride in silence for a while, in part because Xichen is at a loss for words. Without the army, without the camp, he’s not sure what to talk about. He has rarely felt awkward around Mingjue, but he suddenly can’t think of a single thing to say. Instead he watches his friends. Qingyang laughs at something Titakau says, and Xichen can see Titakau smiling, even from here. Ahead of them, Huaisang pokes Guangyao in the shoulder and points to something in the distance, the silhouette of a huge eagle eventually gliding into sight, banking above them and heading north, toward the mountains. Guangyao watches the path of the bird until it disappears from sight.

“Poets in my country speak of your land as empty and barren, but I think they have never been here,” Mingjue says suddenly, breaking the silence. “There is beauty in your plains and hills, as there is in our datik.”

Xichen blinks at him, taken aback by Mingjue’s interest in poetry as much as his continued insistence that the mountains of Xichen’s home are mere hills.

Mingjue grins, reading Xichen’s expression. “They are not even covered in snow, Xichen. But tell me, do your poets write of Ikara?”

They do, and Xichen tells him that Ikara is seen as a mystical place, frightful and wild, with giants of men who ravage maidens and warrior women who wield dark magic. Mingjue roars with laughter.

“Xichen, you are kindio touha...more danger...hm...more dangerous...than most of our people. Although I do not know how it is possible. How do your people grow strong drinking the weak tea?”

Xichen pretends to be offended as he explains the supremacy of delicate, aged white tea. After so many months, it is unexpectedly charming to see yet another side of Mingjue. Xichen hadn’t fully appreciated how heavily caring for the well-being of so many people weighs on Mingjue. Within the encampment, Mingjue is always kipakau, always the general. But the further they get from the city of tents, the less he seems like a commander and more like an ordinary man Xichen doesn’t know well enough yet.

They enter a copse of pine trees, and Xichen is subdued by the beauty of this evergreen forest. Even though it is not yet true spring, there is the whisper of wind in the boughs, bird song all around him, and the peace of it inhabits him like home. When they emerge into a clearing on the other side of the woods, a quiet lake with the remains of summer reeds on its shores lays before them. Xichen nearly asks how Huaisang knew it was here, because it is clearly his intended destination.

“Time for lunch!” Huaisang announces as he dismounts, and with an unnecessarily dramatic gesture, he sets up a large flame burning in the grass.

Even with no wood to sustain it, the flame produces heat, fueled by the magic in the air. Xichen and Guangyao exchange a look. It is another reminder of how different Ikarahu magic is, and Xichen wonders how long the fire can last.

The ground is dry, if cold, and they unpack thick wool blankets to sit on. Their three guards’ horses had been carrying baskets of food, all designed to be eaten cold, as well as jars of ale and water, and Xichen is amused at how carefully Huaisang has prepared this adventure.

Huaisang whistles and Kitingi joins them, although she settles on Guangyao’s shoulder, not Huaisang’s, and bites his hair affectionately. He hands her tiny pieces of food he usually has at the ready. Guangyao’s face softens as it always does around Kitingi, and he scratches the top of her head, smoothing her feathers as she eats. Xichen thinks she might prefer Guangyao even to Mingjue these days.

Titakau whispers something to Qingyang, and Qingyang laughs. “I don’t know, auhani. I’ll ask. Why doesn’t she fly away? She isn’t tethered like the other munaku.”

“I feed her too well,” Huaisang jokes, but Mingjue gives her a true answer. “Aurakat only pretends he does not care,” he explains, smirking at Huaisang as though revealing a deep, dark secret, and Huaisang throws a cup at him. “He raised her from a chick. She could leave any time, but she stays for love.”

They finish eating, and then they sword fight. It would have been a strange way to pass the afternoon in the Cloud Recesses, but Huaisang claims to be cold after their meal and challenges his brother to a duel, a match even Xichen has never seen before. It shouldn’t have been a contest, but once they start, it’s obvious that Huaisang has learned from spending his life sparring with Mingjue. He knows every counter to every move, and he even pulls out his kitingi fan as an extra distraction, blocking Kaumadis with hard swipes and spinning the sharp blades of the fan in front of Mingjue’s face. It doesn’t seem likely that he’ll win, but he keeps Mingjue on his toes until Mingjue laughingly dodges a parry and picks Huaisang up, slinging him over his shoulder and depositing him back onto a blanket by Guangyao.

“Enough! You will have me dancing for hours, anati,” he says and looks as though he intends to sit too, but Xichen stands.

“Will you dance with me, ahoraho?” he asks, drawing Sikunadis, and Mingjue’s eyes darken.

Xichen likes that look on Mingjue’s face. He turns his back to the rest of the group, biting his lip and giving Mingjue a private smile he intends to convey just how much. Mingjue shakes his head.

“You do not fight fair, aitapaho,” he complains with a wink.

It is not a serious bout, not in the tall dry grass, and not after Mingjue has already sparred with Huaisang, but Xichen never tires of learning how he can use Sikunadis differently than an ordinary sword. As Huaisang had suspected, the sword responds to his magic, filling like a well, holding the power for as long as necessary and allowing Xichen to recover his strength. And when he pushes in more power than the sword can hold, the release is magnified, a brilliant explosion of darkness and light that can fling even a shielded attacker away.

Xichen would not say he is showing off, but at first, he lets Mingjue take more risks and get closer than usual, leaning back to let Kaumadis glide past his face, flipping sideways to evade strikes, and putting even more speed into his parries. When he realizes Mingjue is tiring, he runs his fingers across the back of Mingjue’s neck as he spins behind him, grinning when Mingjue groans and falters.

He wins against Mingjue easily and far too quickly, only using enough of the power reserves inside Sikunadis to buzz against Mingjue when he tags him on the back first, then the stomach. Mingjue falls to the ground, laughing and raising his hands in defeat. He holds Xichen’s gaze just long enough to promise rewards when they get back to camp, long enough to make Xichen grin foolishly.

“Guangyao? Do you wish to fight with me?” Xichen asks, not wanting to leave anyone out, and Guangyao deliberates before shaking his head.

“I am no expert, and Zewu-Jun is. I might only be able to keep up with Oringa'anhu Ikira,” he says, entirely serious, smiling only when Huaisang realizes he’s been insulted and reacts with mock outrage.

Qingyang declines as well, but to Xichen’s surprise, Titakau agrees to fight, borrowing Huaisang’s sword. She has excellent form and technique, and she is nearly as quick as Xichen. She catches him off guard twice, forcing him to scramble to block. They end the match in a draw, and Xichen compliments her skill. She ducks her head and tells him that her father is a swordsmith, and she has held a sword since she was a baby.

“Ei kamhawa mau peita ei eta ino iro tiato, gani ora anot inko paketau sima auha di Ipira'orhew Ikira. Et paketau di sima eta kipakau,” Titakau says, smiling shyly.

Qingyang translates, “My father was embarrassed when I became a healer, but now he is so proud that I am in service to Ipira'orhew Ikira. Everyone is proud to serve the crown prince.” With a quick grin that lights her eyes, Qingyang adds, “I am as well, you know.”

Mingjue makes a sound of dismissal and shakes his head, but he’s smiling. There is a thoughtful crease in Guangyao’s eyebrows for a split second before Kitingi leaps off of his shoulder with a sudden scream, flapping high into the air and wheeling to dive into the nearby underbrush. Huaisang and Guangyao follow her to see if she snared whatever she was hunting.

Xichen is curious about which part of Titakau’s words intrigued Guangyao, but he lets the thought go when Mingjue wraps a blanket around him and kisses Xichen’s cheek, sitting next to him with a sigh. Xichen pulls Mingjue’s hand under the blanket and rubs his thumb over Mingjue’s knuckles, leaning against him to absorb his warmth. He wonders what his father or brother would think of how easily he shows and accepts affection like the Ikarahu. He had never minded the formal distance his family kept in the Cloud Recesses. It had felt respectful and unintrusive. But now he craves the simplest touch; there is a space inside him that can never be full enough. Wangji would probably look away in embarrassment, he thinks. Or, remembering the look on Wangji’s face when he talked about his archer, maybe not. He can’t hide his smile and he decides not to ruin his day by thinking about what his father’s reaction might be. Perhaps he is an unfilial son, but he is glad his father will never have the chance to disapprove.

Guangyao and Huaisang finally retrieve a chattering Kitingi from the bush clutching a finch in her claws, and somehow, they are arguing. It’s only been minutes, and Xichen can’t understand how they’ve already found something to disagree about.

“An ambush will not work,” Guangyao says as they rejoin the group, unhooking the two birds and setting the little finch free. “I don’t care if your hawk is always successful. You’ve been camped outside of Jinlin Tai for months. They know you’re here.”

“That’s why it will work, Guangyao,” Huaisang explains, patient to the point of condescension. “They expect us to continue the siege or bring the whole army. We’ve tried waiting patiently. A frontal assault will result in too many casualties. Perhaps we need a different strategy.”

Guangyao’s eyes narrow, and he frowns. “Perhaps you should stop pestering them entirely.”

Huaisang’s grin is swift and careless, but his voice softens. “You know we won’t. Perhaps they should give in.”

Xichen wonders if they realize how obvious it is that they aren’t only talking about Jinlin Tai anymore.

Notes: Aurakat! Wingani! Roka eneti di eta hira om ga tega ehi heromu. = Aurakat! You idiot! This is not enough men for safety.

[sigeel]

How long does it take you to go from idea to finished comic? and do you have the full story upfront or do storylines shift while you draw them?

I generally do outlines while the ideas are fresh just so that I have footnotes on the story as a whole. Then I get to the exploring phase where I create off continuity strips to  get acquainted with the characters and decide what kind of personality they will have. I like to drop them in a random situation,(preferably the one out of their comfort zone) to stress test their character. Generally the story line doesn't shift, but elements within it might change, because sometimes better ideas/solutions to certain situations happen gradually the more I work on a story. Another thing that’s important to address is that I will always ditch certain concepts if my characters outgrew them. (I think the best example to this would be Elly’s pepper spray. After the episode where she and Vlad had a talk it would be pointless for Elly to keep using it around him anymore as it would regress all the character development that happened.) Once I have everything outlined and I’ve decided more or less on what I want, I take the outline and divide it into episodes (some people divide these into amount of pages but I generally don’t know how many pages my episodes will contain. Sometimes I’ll be able to tell an episode in 5 pages, sometimes in 11) now, as to the production part:

I take a week off to sketch out/plan and letter an episode, then the remainder of the month I work on it.  I’ve set myself a deadline to produce 2-3 fully colored fully lettered pages each week (these can contain x number of panels, as sometimes a page can either have as little as 4 panels or as much as 12 xD)  

which brings me to a total of 10 pages a month, which does not look much from the outsiders perspective, but detailed work takes time. ^^ Hope that helps :)

[emy-loves-you]

Wrong Numbers and Useless Gays Chapter 6

Who the F*ck’s Rebecca? OR How the 3 Gays got Together

Virgil learns about Roman’s childhood, specifically his sister and how he ended up dating Patton and Logan.

Warning: Misgendering of a character (but no one knows that the character is trans)

Yes, Roman and Remus are brothers. Explanations are listed at the bottom

Chapter 5 | Masterlist | Chapter 7

V- (2:07 PM) Let it Go was the best song in Frozen and you cannot convince me otherwise

R- (2:07 PM) I respect your opinion, but hear me out: Love is an Open Door

V- (2:08 PM) No

R- (2:08 PM) What about Fixer Upper?

V- (2:09 PM) Still no.

P- (2:09 PM) I really liked Olaf’s song about Summer!

L- (2:10 PM) I personally enjoyed the reprise of First Time in Forever.

R- (2:10 PM) You like almost any song with a reprise

L- (2:10 PM)I will not argue that, as successfully executed reprises are “lit.”

R- (2:11 PM) Ah, and who among us could forget the absolute BOP that is… that weird ice-cutting song.

P- (2:11 PM) I don’t know, Roman. I think that song is, pretty COOL

R- (2:11 PM) Oh, lookout

V- (2:12 PM) What? He’s just saying it’s a CHILLED out groove.

R- (2:12 PM) Ugh

L- (2:12 PM) We might need you two to leave this chat if you don’t stop.

Virgil laughed, throwing his phone on the bed and stripping out of his clothes. He just finished jogging home from Janus’ (he didn’t own a car right now, preferring to walk or have Janus pick him up). It was a lazy afternoon in late September, and all Virgil wanted to do was get out of these sweaty clothes and maybe take a nap. He heard his phone go off multiple times as he got dressed, probably Patton and Logan arguing about the purpose of puns. He flopped down onto his bed and grabbed his phone, checking the new messages.

P- (2:14 PM) Lo, the Princes are calling.

L- (2:14 PM) Tell Roman not to answer, Patton. We’ve been over this.

P- (2:14 PM) They’re asking about us, Lo.

L- (2:14 PM) Tell Roman to hang up. They’re not worth it.

P- (2:15 PM) They’re yelling now, L. They brought up Rebecca. What do I do?

L- (2:15 PM) Just walk into another room, Patton. Ignore them. Do you want me to call you?

P- (2:15 PM) No, I’m good. Just keep texting me. I need a distraction.

Now, Virgil had no idea about what the fuck was going on. But he knew how to distract someone. He’d just have to trust them to tell him later.

V- (2:16 PM) Did you know that octopi have 3 hearts?

L- (2:16 PM) What

P- (2:16 PM) That just means they have more love to give!

V- (2:17 PM) The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds

P- (2:17 PM) Such a good bird!

V- (2:17 PM) Babies do not regularly produce tears until they are 1-3 months old

L- (2:18 PM) Ah, I think I understand now

V- (2:18 PM) A ‘jiffy’ is an actual unit of time. It stands for 1/1000th of a second

L- (2:18 PM) Falsehood. A jiffy is 1/100th of a second

V- (2:19 PM) Sorry, my hand must’ve slipped.

L- (2:19 PM) You would be unable to walk on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus or Neptune because they have no solid surface.

L- (2:20 PM) An asteroid about the size of a car enters Earth’s atmosphere roughly once a year. However, it burns up before it can reach us.

L- (2:20 PM) The highest mountain known to man is on an asteroid called Vesta. It is approximately three times the height of Mount Everest.

P- (2:21 PM) I think they hung up. Thanks for keeping me company, Kiddos!

L- (2:21 PM) It was not an issue, Patton.

V- (2:21 PM) Yeah, no problem Pat. Now can someone explain what just happened?

L- (2:23 PM) As you can probably tell, I am not home at the moment. Apparently, Roman’s parents decided to call him and an argument broke out. The rest is not my place to say.

Virgil bit his lip, refusing to look at his phone screen. Did Virgil have the right to ask about that. It was obviously a very sensitive topic, and Virgil had only known Roman for about 3 months now. Virgil felt like he knew a lot about his 3 crushes (their quirks, their favorite sweets, their goals in life), but he knew very little about their lives before Virgil had met them. Which was fine; they knew very little about Virgil’s life, too. But he desperately wanted to help Roman; to make him feel happy and safe and loved. Virgil sighed, setting his phone on his nightstand. If Princey wants to tell me what’s going on, I’ll listen. If not, I’ll just have to deal with it.

Virgil woke up from his nap to the sound of his phone going off. He blindly felt around for it, his face still firmly planted in his pillow. He finally found it, turning it on before he lifted his head to read the text. It was a private message from Princey.

R- (3:02 PM) You’re probably wondering what happened today.

V- (3:02 PM) I am, but you don’t have to tell me if you’re not comfortable. I’ll respect your privacy.

R- (3:02 PM) As much as I appreciate that, you still deserve to know.

R- (3:03 PM) Do you mind if I call you? This doesn’t feel like a conversation to have over text.

Virgil thought about it for a moment. He originally never wanted to call Roman, simply because he might recognize Virgil’s voice as Anxiety’s. However, not only was Virgil 99% confident that Roman had never even heard of The Dark Sides, Virgil’s head was still foggy after his nap. Before he knew it, he was already calling Princey’s phone.

“Virgil?” Roman didn’t sound as… grand as Virgil expected. His voice was subdued and slightly hoarse, probably from the screaming match with his parents.

“Heya, Princey.” Virgil cringed at how gravelly his voice sounded. He’ll need to get some water after this conversation is over.

“You sound so tired. Oh my stars, did I wake you up? I’m so sorry. I’ll let you get back to sleep-”

“Princey, it’s okay. Just finished my nap. Might not talk much, but ‘m all ears.”

“Alright. Where do I even begin?”

“Take your time. ‘m not pressurin’ you or anythin’.”

“(sigh) You’re right. I guess I should start at the beginning. I grew up in a very... conservative household. My parents expected me and my sister, Rebecca, to be perfect. ReeRee was my partner in crime. We did everything together up until highschool. My parents expected me to get a football scholarship and date the hottest girl in school. I did those things, not because I wanted to, but because they wanted me to. ReeRee was a different story. When my parents signed her up for cheerleading, she tried to join the football team instead. When they told her she should wear her hair in a ponytail, she cut it off to match mine. I didn’t understand, and it made me angry. It was like looking in a funhouse mirror; she was starting to look more and more like me, and yet each change made my parents angrier. Why was looking and acting like me a problem? I thought they liked this version of me! One night in the summer before junior year I was really frustrated and I took it out on her. I told her to stop acting like me. I knew she didn’t deserve my anger, so I went to Patton’s place to cool down. By the time I came home, my parents refused to acknowledge that I even had a sister. I pushed her away, and now I’ll never get her back.

After that, things changed. I was so angry, and everything I saw reminded me of her. I quit the football team, because every time I went down to the field I expected to see her. I dyed my hair, because every time I looked in the mirror I saw her staring back. I stopped caring about what my parents thought, ‘cause it was their opinions that dragged me into this mess!

I had already been friends with Patton since Freshman year, but me and Logan had been at each other’s throats . We were always bickering about something, and sometimes I used our arguments to vent out my anger at whatever was wrong at the time. I didn’t even realize how much I had cared about Patton and Logan until I learned about the LGBTQ+ community. My parents were super strict, and Patton and Logan didn’t exactly flaunt their relationship. I had no idea that liking guys was even an option . Once I learned about it, my parents quickly tried to shut it down. Everyday, they’d start their day telling me that ‘homosexuality is a sin’ and ‘God made you to be the gender you were born with!’ If they had told me that before ReeRee left, I might’ve believed them. But by this point, I didn’t care about a single thing they told me.

So one day, I’m arguing with Logan about who knows what, and suddenly we’re inches apart, and I remember pa saying ‘ a boy should never kiss another boy.’ And just think, ‘Fuck it.’ And now me and Pocket Protector are suddenly making out behind the school building. Microsoft Nerd asks why the hell I decided to make out with him of all people, and I break down right there. He agreed to keep it a secret, but he refused to do anything more than a simple make-out session until he had Padre’s consent to do so. Which I understood, consent is important, cheating is bad.

Now we’re having these ‘sessions’ at least once a week for almost 4 months. Patton eventually walked in on us and he was understandably upset. I explained what had happened and that I’ve had a crush on both of them for a while. And they’re like ‘cool, we’re polyam.’ And now I’m starting senior year dating two men, which mom and pa were not okay with. I told ‘em to fuck off and we moved away as soon as we graduated. They still call occasionally, asking when I’m gonna get my life together and get over losing ReeRee. I haven’t blocked ‘em yet in case they find her or change their minds.”

Roman finally took a deep breath. “Sorry about the rant. Didn’t realise how badly I needed to get that off my chest.”

Virgil snorted. “Don’t worry ‘bout it. Told ya I’d be a good ear. And Princey?”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t gotta do anything to impress someone else. You bein’ you is good enough. And if Rebecca could see you, I’m sure she’d be proud as hell. And don’t be ‘fraid to hit me up if you need someone other than your SOs to rant to; I’ll always be here for ya, Princey.”

“... Thank you, Virgil. I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear that until you said it.” He sighed, and Virgil could hear the sound of running water. “I’m gonna go drink some water. My throat burns like a bitch right now.”

“Same. Catch you later?”

He could hear Roman chuckle to himself. “I guess you shall. Farewell, Storm Cloud. And pleasant dreams!”

Virgil blushed. The way Roman said his nickname… it made Virgil’s gay heart nearly explode. He quickly hung up and buried his face back into his pillow. I’ll get water later. AFTER my heart stops racing.

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Now, for those of you wondering about why Virgil doesn't realize that Roman and Remus are brothers, I'm gonna put a quick explanation here, 'cause I don't know how to casually fit this into the story. 1.) Remus has never told Virgil his deadname or his last name. He's probably told Janus (since their pretty close) but Virgil doesn't know. 2.) Remus has never told Virgil that his brother's name is Roman. Additionally, when Virgil is talking about the 3 gays, he only calls them "Pat, Lo and Princey." 3.) Roman's parents didn't tell him that Remus transitioned, so he doesn't know that Rebecca now goes by Remus. Also, none of the characters have actually sent pictures of their faces, so none of them have any idea what the other looks like. 4.) It is a total coincidence that both twins moved to the same town. Remus believes that Roman still lives in their hometown, and Remus could be dead for all that Roman knows. There is no logical reason for them to think "maybe Virgil's friends with my long-lost sibling" 5.) Virgil would NEVER out his friends like that. He tells Janus and Remus everything, but he would NEVER betray Roman's trust like that. Same thing for telling Roman about Remus. Roman might know that Remus is trans, but he doesn't know about Remus' background. ONE LAST THING: Roman and Virgil will eventually see each other face-to-face but WON'T recognize each other's voices. This is because during the phone call Virgil is still groggy from waking up and Roman is still hoarse from screaming.

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Taglist: @bisexualdisaster106 @self-taught-mess @itawalrus @arodynamic-enby @sanderssides-angst

[hannigram-a-b-o-library]

We are delighted to once again bring you -

Hannigram A/B/O Big Bang

We are continuing to alternate Big Bang and Reverse Bangs, and so we're back with the writers back in the saddle, however please note we do have a few changes this year!

The main change is that this year the event will essentially be split into two parts and writers must complete their fics before claims take place in order to continue to participate. The time will be split equally - four months for writers and then four months for artists. This is reflected in the word count expectations, and is to make sure the event is as seamless and enjoyable for everyone as possible. More information below!

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reply, send us a DM on social media or email us.

Schedule

We’ve split it up this year so that the writers and artists both get four months each to complete their work.

Writers: November to March Artists/Media Creators: April to August

We’re hoping this will be a fairer split of equal time for all participants.

October 1: Sign ups open (Writers only) November 5: Signs ups close (Writers only) January 3 - 10: Writer check in March 4 - 13: Writers fic submissions March 13: Sign ups open (Artists/Media only) April 17: Sign ups close (Artists/Media only) April 19 - 25: Fic Claims May 17 - 23: Artist check in July 5 - 11: Team check in July 31: Posting Schedule set August 2 - 8: Teaser Week August 26: Posting Begins

Dates are subject to change and any changes will be announced online.

Rules

In order for this to run as smoothly as possible and to retain focus on creators within the fandom, there are a few rules we have put in place, including some sign up criteria. Please read thoroughly before signing up.

Participation:

You don’t need to be massively active in the online fandom, but you MUST have created something for it previously. With your signup you will be asked to provide links to any fandom accounts you wish (tumblr, ao3, etc), and also for a link to at least one specific post with an example of your work.

You MUST ensure you have the time and capacity to take on the challenge before signing up. Please do not sign up unless - barring a change in circumstances/real life - you are confident you will be participating.

You MUST be over 18 years old to take part in this event, due to the mature content.

All sign ups and claims will be managed through google forms. We will be explaining each step of the process via email, with links to forms, as we go. But if anyone would like clarification on anything, please get in touch.

Once matched, the team will be given each other’s contact details (email and tumblr), so please ensure you are comfortable with this, and provide suitable details. The teams will also be announced via email to participants, and shortly thereafter on our social media platforms.

You may enter as both a writer and as an artist/media creator, but you may not create for your own art/media.

All works should be brand new. No previously posted WIPs or remixes.

Sequels and prequels will only be allowed if they work as a standalone piece.

Drafts and WIPs cannot be posted anywhere ahead of time, including to Patreon, Kofi Gold etc. Feel free to post about your process and experience, but no snippets, teasers or WIPs aside from the official promo postings.

Writers -

The minimum word count is 3000 words.

The upper limit is 20,000 words.

The fic MUST be complete as a standalone story by the due date.

The main pairing must be Hannibal and Will. You can include other pairings (Marlana, Bedannibal, Spacedogs, etc), but the main focus must be Hannigram.

Any rating and warnings are allowed, you MUST ensure you include all relevant ratings, warnings and tags.

Any tropes or genre welcome, canon and AU allowed.

Submission: In March, you will have a week to submit your finished work in order to continue to participate. You will also be asked to complete a short form with information about the work, including any tags, summary and snippet in order to give the artists/media creators more information for claims. Complete fics will only be made available to the appropriate teammate when the teams are paired, they will not be provided to artists/media creators during claims.

Claims: Will take place April 19 - 25. Once the claims have been processed, we will let you know who you have been matched with.

Team Communication: It is important that you have an initial conversation with your writer once matched, so that you are all on the same page before moving forward. After that the level of communication is down to you and your partner, but please be clear what level of input/communication you would prefer.

Check In: You have one solo check in (January), where we will send you a short form (less than 5 mins) to find out how you are getting on and whether you are still planning to participate. We will not be asking for drafts, but we will be asking for a truthful estimation of how complete you feel you are. There will be a team check in (July), in order to ensure you are happy with how things are progressing.

Promotional Banners: (optional) You will need to supply your teammate with the name you will be posting under, and the name of the fic, so this can be added to their banner. These can be posted by you and/or your teammate, along with a snippet of the fic, on social media platforms of your choice (we will RT/Reblog on Twitter, Pf and Tumblr) during the week of 2 - 8 August.

Posting: You and your teammate will be assigned a posting date, based on your posting date preferences. You can decide between you whether both team members post their separate parts (linking to the other), or whether one of you posts. You can post on all social media platforms of your choice on your posting date.

Posting: Your fic must be posted in its entirety on your assigned day, even if it has multiple chapters, they must be uploaded on the same day.

Posting: Your fic must be posted into our AO3 collection with appropriate ratings, warnings and tags. Artists/Media Creators can either post their works to the AO3 collection, or embed in your fic - this is for you to decide as a team. At the least, you must include a link to your teammate’s collaborative piece in your notes.

Artists/Media creators -

The main pairing in your creation must be Hannibal and Will. You can feature other pairings (Marlana, Bedannibal, Spacedogs, etc), but the main focus must be Hannigram.

You will be required to produce one work for claims. You can optionally also choose to create a promotional banner - which can be a WIP or a snippet of part of the completed work. If your media doesn’t lend itself to a banner but you’d still like to post a promo, let us know and we will assist.

Art/Media can be any of the following -

Traditional art (scanned or photographed to upload) Digital art High quality/complex photomanipulations, aesthetics, edits, banners (the expectation is that this work should be transformative - i.e. a degree of imaginative input/creative effort needs to be evident in the work) Original music Fanvids Anything else? If we have missed something you feel would be a relevant media contribution, please send us an ASK or go ahead and sign up with a link to your work as an example

Check In: You have a solo check in (May), where we will send you a short form (less than 5 mins) to find out how you are getting on and whether you are still planning to participate. There will be a team check in(July), in order to ensure you are happy with how things are progressing, etc.

Claims: Will take place April 19 - 25. Artists/media creators will be asked to select a selection of fics and we will then match everyone as best as we can. Once the claims have been processed, we will let you know who you have been matched with.

Team Communication: It is important that you have an initial conversation with your writer once matched, so that you are all on the same page before moving forward. After that the level of communication is down to you and your partner, but please be clear what level of input/communication you would prefer.

Promotional Banners: (optional) This needs to be a snippet - a close up or teaser - of the work. A WIP as a teaser is also acceptable. The banner must include the name of the fic and both names of the teammates - guidelines will be given for this, including for those creating media that may not be easily made into a banner. These can be posted by you and/or your teammate, along with a snippet of the fic, on social media platforms of your choice (we will RT/Reblog on Twitter, Pf and Tumblr) during the week of 2 - 8 August.

Posting: You and your teammate will be assigned a posting date, based on your posting date preferences. You can decide between you whether both team members post their separate parts (linking to the other), or whether one of you posts. You can post on all social media platforms of your choice on your posting date. Artists/Media Creators can either post their works to the AO3 collection, or embed in the teammates fic - this is for you to decide as a team.

Posting: For visual art, please ensure this is posted with appropriate resolution and dimensions for the platform(s) you post to. If you need guidance on these please let us know.

Withdrawing:

Again, please ensure you have the capacity, time and enthusiasm before signing up!!

However, we understand that sometimes life happens and you may no longer be able to commit. If this is the case, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can ensure teams are not unduly affected.

If you are withdrawing, please email us - HannigramABO@gmail.com

If you are wanting to withdraw because your team isn’t working out for any reason, please let us know as we may be able to make swaps or involve pinch hitters if possible.

Contacting us:

You can email HannigramABO@gmail.com, or send us a DM on Twitter or Pillowfort, or an ask on tumblr. Please note that if you send the tumblr ask as anonymous we will not be able to respond to it privately.

[dasmutquisition]

Frequently Asked Questions

Nobody Expects the Dragon Age Smutquisition is a fanwork gift exchange that showcases works rated Explicit in the DA Fandom. Any pairings or groups are eligible as long as they contain at least one DA Character from any DA Media and no characters who are underage. All works must be rated Explicit and tagged appropriately.

2021 Important Dates:

Nominations: January 1st - January 8th Signups: January 8th - January 18th Assignments Given By: January 19th Due date: March 1st Works revealed: March 8th Creators revealed: March 15th

FAQ:

1. What are the requirements for this gift exchange?

When signing up, you will nominate at least three pairs/groups you would like to receive fanworks for (art and/or fic) and at least three pairs/groups you would like to offer fanworks for. All pairs/groups must have at least one DA character from any DA media in it. You will be matched with a person according to what you have offered. You must then complete a fanwork for at least one of the requested pairs/groups.

2. How do I participate in the gift exchange?

The exchange will be run through AO3 so you must have an AO3 account. Detailed instructions on how to nominate and sign up are posted below. You may also follow the official Tumblr @dasmutquisition or email smutquisition@gmail.com to ask additional questions.

3. What pairings are eligible?

The pairing/group must have at least one dragon age character in it. This character can be from any Dragon Age media - games, books, comics, etc. Pairings can be canon, non-canon, or sheer crack. We also allow poly nominations as long as there is one DA character. This exchange does allow crossover nominations with other fandoms. We are not allowing canonically underage characters to be nominated in this exchange.

4. What should my completed fanwork look like for the exchange?

This exchange accepts art or fiction. You must complete one fanwork for the pair you are assigned by the March 1st deadline.

Works of fiction must stand alone and be no less than 500 words. You may include OCs you have used before, but this work must not be part of an existing series and must be tailored to the request you have received. There is no maximum word count.

Art can be computer or hand drawn and must be complete.

Works must be Explicit in this exchange and it must be tagged appropriately. Works may also contain triggering content as long as the request did not prohibit it. Please tag triggers appropriately.

What is 'finished' art?

For the purposes of this exchange, finished art is at a minimum clean, finished line art. Backgrounds and colors are not necessary - but there is no limit to what you can do.

For fanart, do submissions need to show genitals in detail to be considered appropriate for this exchange?

No. Any art of the characters nude or semi-nude and/or in a 'steamy' position while partially dressed will be considered appropriate. Detailed and explicit rendering of genitals is also accepted and allowed.

For fanfiction, do submissions need to consist solely of smut?

No. Plot is allowed as long as it does not violate a DNW on the request. Fics can be as long as you need them to be - but there should be at least one explicit smutty scene in a fic to count for this exchange.

What do you consider "smut" for this exchange?

Smut is any art or fic that depicts a sexually intimate act of some kind. This could be a specific kink, a specific sexual act, or anything of that nature. We are asking art and fics to be smutty in nature, complete, and adhere to the DNWs in the request - those are the only requirements for fulfilling your requests.

5. How does this work exactly?

FIRST! Nominations January 1st to 8th:

You can nominate up to 12 different pairings. The moderators will go through the pairings to check that each contains at least one character from the Dragon Age fandom and do not contain canonically underage characters. Any nomination that does not contain at least one character from the Dragon Age fandom or contains underage characters will be rejected. Nominations may consist of homosexual, heterosexual, threesomes, or moresomes. Because of the nature of this exchange, we are not accepting platonic relationships.

For the purposes of this challenge, the Dragon Age OC Protagonists will be considered different characters based on their gender and surname. This means that there are three options (male, female, and non-binary) for any Dragon Age OC character. When nominating an OC Protagonist, please keep this in mind and specify which option you want. For example:

Male Trevelyan/Bull or Non-binary Mahariel/Leliana instead of Trevelyan/Bull or Mahariel/Leliana

Please do not nominate a custom/individual OC Protagonist (IE: Maria Cadash/Varric Tethras). When you do your request and pick your pairings you can provide additional details, such as a preferred name or physical description, in your request. You may also link to your OC information.

Other original characters are allowed as long as they are "general" characters. For example: "Chantry Mother", "Merchant's Guild Member", or "Templar" would all be acceptable. If you have questions, ask the moderators.

SECOND! Signups January 8th-18th:

After nominations, moderators will open up signups. Participants will complete a form on AO3 to request approved pairings that you would like to receive fic and/or art for. You do not have to request the pairings you nominated! On the same form, you will also make offers of pairings you would like to make fic and/or art for. You must request at least three pairings and offer at least three pairings. However - you may request and offer up to 12. You will only be asked to complete one piece of fanwork.

On the form, there is a place for you to go into details about what you want. This is a great place to put a prompt with your ideas for a fic or art! You do not need to go into detail, but you can go into as much detail as you like to give the creator ideas. You may also put this information on a third party site instead such as Tumblr.

Good things to list: general likes, rating restrictions, prompt ideas, squicks/triggers/do-not-wants, or anything else you’d like the writer/artist to know. Make sure you list things you do not want. We are insisting Authors and Artists adhere to the Do-Not-Wants and the pairing, otherwise they have complete artistic license. Here is an example of a request:

Pairing: Blackwall/Female Cadash

Hello! I have a Baewall love that is deep. I wanna see Blackwall going to lengths to please his lady love. I like a gentle Dom/sub dynamic with Cadash as the Dom partner, and I have a bit of a size kink. Would love to see Cadash on top in any situation.

DNWs: Smut for pairings not listed, incest, angst with no happy ending, extreme gore, non-con/dub-con, humiliation

We are asking you to put similar information in your offers, particularly things you will not write/draw. Authors/Artists will not be asked to create their DNWs. Here is an example of an offer:

Pairing: Female Lavellan/Leliana

I do not want to create anything that features: incest, angst with no happy ending, or non-con/dub-con.

THIRD! Assignments - January 19th:

The moderator team will match you to someone based on interests. You are guaranteed to have a match by the end of the day January 19th, if you do not by 11:59 US EST, please reach out to the moderators.

Once matching is complete, you will receive an email with your assignment from AO3. You will be assigned to write or draw for someone who requested at least one of the pairings that you offered to write or draw for. Since everyone must put in at least three requests, it is likely that your assignment will include pairings that you did not request or parts of canon you may not be familiar with.

FOURTH! Create a Fanwork: January 19th - March 1st

Pick one of the pairings/prompts in your assignment (it doesn't have to be the one you matched on) and start creating! You have a little over a month to work on your assignment. You must honor Do Not Wants and the requested pairing, all other information in the prompt is a guideline but not mandatory. You must also remain anonymous - the only people who may see what you are creating is your beta reader(s) if you have them. If you have a question for your intended recipient, reach out to the moderator team and we will ask it or use anonymous methods (such as tumblr asks) if they're available.

If you create a work with a Do Not Want in it, and do not fix it when asked, you will be banned from the exchange. If you do not complete a work at all, barring extenuating circumstances judged by the moderators, you will be banned from the exchange.

FIFTH! Posting and Review by Moderators: March 1st - 8th

All stories and art must be posted by March 1st at 8:00pm US EST on AO3. You may continue to edit your fanwork until March 8th, but it is imperative that you have a complete work submitted on March 1st. The mods will then go through posted fanworks to make sure that they are complete, meet the criteria, and do not contain DNWs. If there is a problem, the moderators will reach out to the creator and ask them to correct.

FINALLY, the Reveal: March 8th - March 15th

All stories and art will be revealed anonymously on March 8th. You must have your final draft up by this time. Creators will be revealed on March 15th; after this point, you may post your work anywhere.

You are required to comment on any and all gifts produced for you. Anyone who does not leave a comment on a gift for them will be banned until they leave at least a two-sentence comment on their assigned gift.

6. I'm in trouble and can't complete what I signed up to do. What should I do?

If you know you are going to have trouble meeting the deadline, reach out to the moderators as soon as possible. We expect people to complete the offer they've made, HOWEVER, we understand circumstances sometimes are beyond people's control. If there is a reasonable explanation, the moderators will work with the creator to fill the prompt somehow with no penalty to the creator. If there are no circumstances, or the moderators are not informed, the person who defaults is banned from future exchanges.

We will be asking for a list of volunteers who may be able to step in and create content in case someone defaults. The exchange will not open until everyone has a gift.

7. I’m not able to commit to the exchange, but I want to be involved. How can I be?

We will be asking for volunteers to:

Step in if someone defaults on a prompt

Assist as beta readers

Promote the event and our creators

You can do any of those things or create treats!

8. Tell me about these treats?

A treat is any fanwork created for this exchange that is not a participant’s assignment. You do not have to be an exchange participant to create a treat and you can create treats in addition to your sign up, or only do treats.

9. I have other questions...

We love questions! And talking! In particular, Manka ( @cartadwarfwithaheartofgold ) really likes talking, but all the moderators are available to answer questions. Please use this information to contact us via Tumblr messenger:

Official Account: @dasmutquisition

[bccity]

Q2 2021 BC ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULES & REVIEW

Members may earn up to 18 points for writing, by the end of June 30 KST:

Up to three solo paras of 400+ words based on their quarterly schedule (does not count toward your monthly limit). (three points each)

Up to three threads of eight posts (four per participant, including the starter) based on the monthly schedule. (three points each)

Threads and solos do not have to take place directly during an important date listed on the schedule, but must be related to what the muse is mentioned to be doing in the paragraph explaining their schedule/the company’s schedule and/or their thoughts on the mentioned activities or lack thereof.

These schedules may be updated if new information needs to be added.

Reminder: Please do not post schedule posts in the fmdschedule tag. 

Schedule posts for this quarter can be tagged with #fmdbceq221.

OVERALL COMPANY

2021 is BC Entertainment’s twenty-fifth year in business and the company plans to do a few things to commemorate that throughout the year. In the second quarter, the company is holding a gala with CEO Kim Byungchul as the guest of honor. The guest list mostly consists of business types for the sake of executive networking, but idols under the company are invited as well. Technically, attendance by BC idols is not mandatory, but management may push them very hard to attend if they see it as beneficial to do so. 

Important dates:

April 24: BC Entertainment Gala at Intercontinental Hotel Parnas in Gangnam, Seoul.

June 8-13: Triple Fantasy Festival in Indio, CA, USA.

DECIPHER

Decipher makes their Japanese comeback at the beginning of April and will spend the next month and a half with occasional rehearsals for the concerts they’ll hold in Japan at the end of May. Most of their time this quarter will be spent on their next Korean comeback as a priority, though. Throughout April, they’ll record the album and will go in for fittings. This comeback has a dramatized MV, so the fittings are more focused on making sure the stylist’s vision matches the director’s vision once on the members than the probable need for any tailoring or avant garde styling. In May, they’ll get to learning the choreography and will shoot the music video ahead of the official release in June. Much of the filming will be individual for the music video since it involves a lot of acting with female actresses. Promotions for their new album will be the standard fare for Decipher: music shows, radio shows, and fan signs. This will be one of the busiest quarters of the year for Decipher, and the members are encouraged to invest themselves in group activities this quarter.

Important dates:

April 7: Release of “Mirai (Ashita)” & Mirai (Ashita) Japanese single album.

April 20: “It’s Okay” comeback M/V [2] and stage outfit fittings.

May 2: Complete album jacket shooting.

May 4: TBJ fansign.

May 14: "It’s Okay” M/V filming day one.

May 15: "It’s Okay” M/V filming day two.

May 26: The Secret Diary Concert at Tokyo Dome City Hall in Tokyo, Japan. 

May 27: The Secret Diary Concert at Tokyo Dome City Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

May 30: The Secret Diary Concert at Grand Cube Osaka in Osaka, Japan.

May 31: The Secret Diary Concert at Grand Cube Osaka in Osaka, Japan.

June 7: Release of "It’s Okay” & Complete album + press showcase, music show promotions continue through July 7.

June 15: KBS Cool FM Kiss The Radio radio show guesting.

June 16: Fansign in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul.

June 19: Fansign in Yongsan, Seoul.

June 20: Fansign in Gangnam, Seoul.

June 18: Fansign in Yeouido, Seoul.

June 19: Fansign in Ilsan.

June 23: SBS Power FM Love Game radio show guesting.

June 24: Fansign in Gimpo.

June 25: Fansign in Yangcheon, Seoul.

June 28: Fansign in Gimpo.

 ↳ Decipher R & V

No schedules for this quarter.

Important dates:

N/A.

 ↳ CHAMPION

Near the end of the month, the CHAMPION members will fly out to Japan to hold their concert at Tokyo Dome. Decipher and Knight have played Tokyo Dome before, but Unity hasn’t. Regardless of history, it’s a pretty big deal that a fresh sub-unit is playing such a venue, so BC and Dimensions wants to make sure it goes off without a hitch. After the concert ends, the unit members will begin working on a comeback as they go in to record a single in the studio in June.

Important dates:

April 29: We Are The Future Concert at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.

BEE

BEE’s second quarter of the year is spent riding out the rest of their most recent comeback era and preparing to make the summer comeback fans are anticipating even without any official announcement yet by recording the mini-album at the end of the quarter. The majority of April is occupied with the members’ continued promotions for “I’ll Be Yours”, including occasional fan signs and the continuing run of music show promotions. The song is well-received. It’s not another number one hit in their bags, but anything BEE releases is sure to peak easily within the top ten of charts due to their status of longevity, and “I’ll Be Yours” isn’t an exception. In time they aren’t promoting in April, BEE will be preparing to bring their Live Concert: B concert to Hong Kong. The set list will be the same as their Seoul dates, so rehearsals are intended to keep the members fresh on the stages and adjust to any minor set and prop changes needed due to taking the show out of the country. A photo shoot for Esquire Korea and more duties as ambassadors for 11 St round out the quarter’s activities.

Important dates:

April 5: Fansign in Gangnam, Seoul.

April 12: Fansign in Gimpo.

April 22: End of music show promotions.

April 28: Performance (I’ll Be Yours & Darling) for military at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam (also performing: BEE and Fuse).

May 1: Photo shoot for Esquire Korea’s June issue.

May 10: 11 St fansign.

May 14: Live Concert: B at Star Hall in Hong Kong.

June 26: Performance at 11 St. Shocking Deal All Night Party.

 ↳ 2BEE

No schedules for the quarter.

Important dates:

N/A

KNIGHT

Their comeback in mid-April is the main event of Knight’s second quarter. Promotions have been amped up some in comparison to their last comeback in response to Knight’s album sales’ slow but consistent downward trend. “RPM” doesn’t look to be the comeback that will break that trend, but BC is throwing Knight into filming some promotional videos and appearances, not to mention a drastically increased number of fan signs, to prevent angering anymore fans, some of whom are still opposed to BC’s collaboration with Dimensions to include Knight members in CHAMPION. The latter part of the quarter will bring other activities and preparations to focus on for the members of Knight in either CHAMPION or Knight Light, and will also have the members spending a lot of time preparing for the tour they’ll embark on in the second half of the year. The earliest preparations will begin in May with dance practices and early fittings, but June will bring the bulk of learning new choreography and preparing special remixes and stages. Each member will get a chance to perform a solo stage during the tour, consisting of one of the following two options: 1) a vocal and/or rap and/or dance cover of their choice or 2) their most recently released promoted solo single (if applicable), that they will begin to rehearse in June as well.

Important dates:

April 4: Photo shoot for Dazed Korea’s May issue.

April 5: RPM Intro Performance video filming (maknae/main dancer/rapper/vocal, lead vocal/lead dancer, & main dancer/vocal/rapper)

April 10: RPM Runner Live video filming.

April 12: Release of “RPM” & RPM mini-album + press showcase, music show promotions continue through May 12.

April 13: RPM Waiting Live video filming.

April 15: RPM Relay Dance video filming.

April 18: Fansign in Gimpo.

April 19: 1theK RPM Suit Dance video filming.

April 20: Fact iN Star filming.

April 23: Fan sign in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul.

April 24: Mini fanmeeting outside of Show! Music Core.

April 25: Fan sign in Gangnam, Seoul.

May 7: Fan sign in Jongno, Seoul.

May 11: Fan sign in Mapo, Seoul.

May 12: End of music show promotions.

 ↳ White Knight

No schedules for the quarter.

Important dates:

N/A

 ↳ CHAMPION

Near the end of the month, the CHAMPION members will fly out to Japan to hold their concert at Tokyo Dome. Decipher and Knight have played Tokyo Dome before, but Unity hasn’t. Regardless of history, it’s a pretty big deal that a fresh sub-unit is playing such a venue, so BC and Dimensions wants to make sure it goes off without a hitch. After the concert ends, the unit members will begin working on a comeback as they go in to record a single in the studio in June.

Important dates:

April 29: We Are The Future Concert at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.

↳ Knight Light

This quarter, the pair are informed that BC plans for them to come back in July. In April, they’ll be invited to come sit in on sessions with company producers to help contribute to some of the songs for their comeback album if they’d like to. By May, the final track list will be officially confirmed and they’ll record the album. In June, they’ll finish comeback preparations with fittings, photo shoots, and M/V filming.

Important dates:

June 1: Comeback M/V [2] [3] [4] and stage outfit fittings.

June 7: 1 Billion Views photo book shoot.

June 19: “Telephone” M/V filming.

June 20: “Nothin’” Track M/V and “On Me” Track M/V filming.

June 21: “1 Billion Views” M/V filming.

LIPSTICK

Lipstick’s Ticket comeback is well-received. They don’t have the undivided attention of the public anymore the way they once did, but their fanbase is steady in the wake of Queendom and their hold on their specific subset of the market isn’t being very actively challenged these days. “Ticket” promotions proceed with the usual round of fan signs and, radio guestings, and music shows, but once they finished, they’re almost immediately called into a meeting with the news that they’ll begin working on their next comeback right away. While BEE is most well-known as the summer queens of the company, Lipstick is marketable for the season as well and BC wants to capitalize on that by pushing them for a special summer mini-album release. In May, they’ll be briefed on the concept of the comeback and will record the mini-album. In the back half of May, they’ll learn the choreography a little more rushed than usual. As June comes around, the focus will shift to fittings and photo shoots for the album jacket and promotion materials ahead of their comeback release in July.

Important dates:

April 2: Release of “Ticket” & Sweet Rendezvous mini-album + press showcase, music show promotions continue through May 2.

April 3: Fan sign in Gimpo.

April 5: Fan sign in Yongsan, Seoul.

April 12: Fan sign in Ilsan.

April 16: KBS Cool FM Kiss The Radio guesting.

April 19: Fan sign in Busan.

April 27: Fan sign in Gangnam, Seoul.

April 28: Performance (Ticket & Wild) for military at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam (also performing: BEE and Fuse).

May 2: End of music show promotions.

June 15: Comeback M/V and stage outfit fittings.

June 16: Comeback teaser and photo book shoot.

 ↳ Lip Gloss

No schedules for the quarter.

Important dates:

N/A

CHARM

After CHARM finishes their Korean comeback promotions, their team’s attention will turn to preparing for a Japanese comeback in June with a new single and mini-album. April will be spent recording the mini-album and learning the choreography. Choreography practice will continue into the following month leading up to the filming of the music video and the album jacket shoot. Around this time is also when CHARM will begin to rehearse for their Japan tour, which they’ll be holding in the third quarter. Luckily for them, this doesn’t involve learning much new choreography, as they should already be familiar with most of it. 

Important dates:

April 8: End of music show promotions.

May 1: Japanese comeback wardrobe fittings.

May 9: “24H” M/V filming.

May 10: 24H album photo shoot.

June 6: 24H M/V reaction video filming.

June 7: Release of “24H” Japanese single.

June 22: Release of 24H Japanese mini-album.

June 26: Performance on Count Down TV.

 ↳ CHARM U

No schedules for the month.

Important dates:

N/A

WISH

"More & More” promotions carry through to the end of April. There isn’t much need to bother with additional schedules like radio show guestings or filming videos for other YouTube channels at WISH’s level, especially considering BC would like to let Chroma take that attention up in April as they promote their first sub-unit debut. After promotions have ended, WISH are quickly informed they’ll need to start preparing for their next comeback, which will start a trilogy of a more elegant lean within their color pop concept. In May, after they’ve had a photo shoot for the cover of the American Harper’s Bazaar (a benefit of their recent signing with an American label), they’ll be in the studio to record the mini-album and, at the end of the month, will be spending time in the dance studio to learn the choreography. June will involve the final comeback preparations, including fittings and the album photo shoot before the members make their comeback in July.

Important dates:

April 5: Fansign in Yongsan, Seoul.

April 12: Fansign in Gangnam, Seoul.

April 19: Fansign in Yeouido, Seoul.

April 29: End of music show promotions.

May 1: Photo shoot for Harper’s Bazaar’s May issue cover.

May 8: Estee Lauder fan sign.

June 1: Comeback M/V and stage outfit wardrobe fittings.

June 15: COLOR*WISH mini-album photo shoot.

CHROMA

While the members of Chroma Crystal make their debut as a new unit, the second batch of members slowly eases into preparations to release their solo singles in this quarter. While everyone is working on their own schedules, the members will also begin to film another predebut project BC has in mind for them — a webdrama. They’ve been cast in these roles and in May and June, they’ll film the first season and its special clips. Multiple seasons of the webdrama are planned to get the group’s name out. (Admin note: Characters will have the muse’s name and not the Loona members’ names.)

[Orange] will record her song and learn the choreography in April so that she’s prepared to film her music video (which [Indigo] makes a pre-reveal appearance in) in May. This leads into her official single release in the final month of the quarter. Chroma’s fans are growing with each solo single release, hers included.

[Yellow], on the other hand, begins to record her song and learn its choreography in May (after receiving the original demo the month prior) and the music video will be filmed in June — there’s winter imagery in the song for a “Christmas in summer” feeling that BC thinks will make her standout, or it represents something about Chroma’s lore timeline being out of chronological order; it’s unclear as she gets different explanations from different staff that makes it seem like not everyone is on the same page. [Orange] makes a prominent appearance in her music video.

[Indigo] starts going into the studio in June to record her song, and will work on the choreography the same month, though she’ll spend the beginning of the quarter being sent demos for potential songs as BC whittles down the list to decide what she’ll debut with.

As with all previous releases, other members are encouraged to come visit the other members during their individual preparations so that the company can record behind-the-scenes videos of members interacting.

Important dates:

April 3: [Violet] End of music show promotions.

May 10: [Orange] “New” M/V filming.

June 5: [Yellow] “Heart Attack” M/V filming.

June 6: [Orange] Release of “New” + press showcase, music show promotions continue through July 6.

↳ CHROMA CRYSTAL

This quarter, the unit makes their debut with “Girl Front” and will promote on music shows for a month before immediately coming back with “Sweet Crazy Love”. The members will hold their first fansigns over the two months of consecutive promotions. For the most part, promotions will be kept to music shows, fan signs, and a few interviews and appearances during “Sweet Crazy Love” promotions.

On the final day of their repackage promotions, the unit will hold their first ever fanmeeting for fans. They’ll hold two shows on the same day, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. The members will give live performances of “Starlight”, “Sweet Crazy Love”, “Loonatic”, a medley of their solo songs, and a cover of Knight’s “My Answer”. Each of the three members will also have to perform a solo cover stage of their choice during the fanmeeting. They have to sing/rap for the cover (it can’t be a dance-only cover), aren’t allowed to cover another member’s solo, and should keep in mind the small stage size (elaborate production and backup dancers/vocalists won’t be available). In between songs, the members will talk about themselves, such as their training experience, experiences preparing their solo and unit songs, and their hopes for the group, and at the end, they’ll take questions and requests from attendees through an open KakaoTalk chat room.

Important dates:

April 4: Release of “Girl Front” & Mix & Match mini-album + press showcase, music show promotions continue through May 4.

April 7: Performance (Girl Front) at Nonsan Strawberry Festival in Nonsan (also performing: Lucid).

April 12: Max & Match repackage album photo shoot.

April 19: “Sweet Crazy Love” M/V filming day one (on-location scenes).

April 26: “Sweet Crazy Love” M/V filming day two (studio scenes).

May 5: Release of “Sweet Crazy Love” & Max & Match mini-album + press showcase, music show promotions continue through June 5.

May 7: Fact iN Star appearance filming.

May 10: InnerView interview + performance [2] filming. 

June 5: Chroma Studio : Crystal Hertz fanmeeting at Hongdae MUV Hall.

June 5: End of music show promotions.

June 19: Performance (Girl Front & Sweet Crazy Love) at 1m1won Charity Walkathon (also performing: Gal.actic and 7ROPHY)

[nerv0usm3chanic]

CORRUPTION

Chapters: 1 || 2 || 3 || 4

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((NOTE - This is an introduction to a new PERMANENT AU feature exclusive to nerv0usm3chanic. Please see further, generalized information regarding this AU here: X

Be advised that each of these chapters are VERY LONG. The full content will be tucked under a read more after a brief introduction segment.

DO NOT REBLOG.))

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“Arthur...have you been feeling okay?” Vivi asked, taking a seat beside Arthur as he focused on the project before him. He’d been fiddling with robotics for a while just as a hobby, but given how long and hard he’d been working, it looked like Arthur was working on an even more vital project than any before. He was clumsy with his right hand as he set down a pair of tweezers and looked at Vivi with tired eyes and a weak smile.

“I’ve been better, Vivi.” Arthur sighed tiredly. He’d been back from the hospital for nearly a month now - two and a half months since he’d lost his arm - and the blond spent nearly every day working on an intense project. “It’s...not too easy adjusting to not having something...” Arthur admitted quietly, staring at the metal bones before him.

“Oh, jinx! I’m sorry, Artie, I-I didn’t mean-!” Vivi started, backpedaling in her sentence before Arthur reached out with his right hand and touched her shoulder. He smiled at her softly, assuring her that it was alright.

“N-no, it’s okay, Vivi. You know it’s not your fault.” Arthur said gently, reassuring Vivi that what had happened was in the past and really there wasn’t anything she could have done. Except maybe not make them go to the cave in the first place. But Arthur refused to entertain that dark train of thought...it might wake him up. “It was just...a lot of crazy coincidences.” That was something he told himself over and over, day in and day out. It helped him feel better about the absence on his left side.

“Hmmm...well...are-are things going better?” She asked, tucking her hair behind her ears, “Is it easier with your cousin and uncle taking care of things?”

“Hmm...uh, well...to a degree.” Arthur answered, turning back to his project and carefully picking up the tweezers. Even after weeks of practice, Arthur still found it hard to adjust to being right-handed...among other things. “Lucan takes care of the front of the shop and does some fixing and Uncle Lance still runs the shop as normal. I help out with checking numbers and making sure bills and such get paid. So, I’m still working. It keeps me busy when I’m not sleeping or working on this thing.”

“So this is...” the blue-hared woman started, looking at the complex assemblage of metal rods, hinges, and wires, along with a lot of other things Vivi didn’t know the particular names of.

“Yep.” Arthur nodded, using the tweezers to carefully arrange a pattern of wires to eventually lead to sensors in one of the digits. He still had a lot of work to do before he was finished with his prosthetic arm.

--

“Okay um, yeah, um hold it there, for just a second.” Arthur directed as his doctor carefully positioned the first rendition of the blond’s new left arm. Six months had passed and this was going to be the first attempt to connect the false appendage to the specialized port. In that time, Arthur had spent so much time studying and using the nearby university resources, he might as well have earned an honorary degree with what he was attempting. Arthur knew this was going to hurt and he needed his cousin and uncle for support. The pale fingers of his right hand were grasping tight to Lance’s rough gloved hand in worried anticipation.

“Just take yer time, lad.” Lance replied in the softest version of his gruff voice. He wasn’t the most comforting of individuals, but the short-statured Kingsmen was practically Arthur’s parent with how much time he’d put into raising the boy. Arthur wouldn’t have asked anyone else to be there for emotional support. “An’ don’ do anything ye don’ feel ready fer.”

“We ken always do this later if ye need ta iron out some wrinkles.” Lucan offered, giving Arthur a pat on his whole shoulder. As his cousin, it was expected that Lucan would be somewhat close to Arthur. But seeing as the two had bonded so much more closely since Lucan moved to Tempo, the younger Kingsmen might as well have been brothers. All three men looked to the doctor preparing to attach the false arm.

“I wish I could numb the pain for you, Arthur.” He murmured gently, “But this is a prototype and...we need to gauge how well the adaptor works to communicate between the wires and nerves...” The arm had been through so many tests and iterations with the help of the local university and waiting for more tests wasn’t going to work anymore.

The doctor needed results for his paper. The university needed results to keep funding the specialist and Arthur. Arthur needed results...in the form of a new left arm. The chance that there would even be any kind of re-use of his left arm again was enough to motivate Arthur for this improvement.

“I’m ready...just...be careful.” Arthur nodded, gripping his uncle’s hand tighter as the prosthetic’s port approached the adaptor his doctor had installed two months earlier. There was that ominous tingle in the back of his mind, a dark chuckle rising up from the depths as the separated parts got closer. Amber eyes widened in fear as he noticed a small flux of energy and a tiny zap between the ports now just millimeters apart.

“W-wai-!” But he was too late. A pained scream ripped free from him, lightning practically erupting around Arthur’s arm port as everyone was pushed from the blond. Arthur would wake sometime later in a hospital bed, his new arm heavy and limp. He would cry out in angered frustration, causing everyone to leave the room as he pitched anything within reach at those nearby.

He had failed...again! There was nothing this metal arm could do but sit there! It was an arm-shaped paperweight...it was just good for looking like an arm...until he made a metal finger twitch.

--

“Alright, you ready to test out that coordination, Artie?” Lewis called over the short distance between him and Arthur while Vivi and Mystery watched eagerly. Arthur was going to be practicing more refined movement with his arm, this time it was catching and throwing a ball. A simple task for many, but Arthur had been so focused on preparing his arm, working on it days and nights for months. Vivi was proud to see Arthur regaining himself; the use of his left arm being the most important thing she’s noticed.

“I’m ready!” Arthur called back, flexing his robotic hand to prepare it to catch the baseball. He’s been working on getting back to being left-handed, but had found tasks much easier to accomplish with developed skill in using both his hands. Forced ambidexrty was interesting to accomplish - and he was exceedingly proud of his abilities - but now the point was to get his false arm’s motions up to snuff.

“He’s improved so much!” Vivi says to Mystery as she watches Lewis pitch the ball gently. “I was really worried about him for a while.”

“Yeah...it was a little shaky for a while there, wasn’t it?” Mystery added, internally still angry at himself for using such drastic action. It’s been a solid 11 months since then and still-! Mystery nearly bolted and then forced himself to sit back down with a huff; he was doing his best to contain the canine urge to chase the ball. The first few volleys back and forth were fine, no trouble at all for Arthur. Mystery felt a sudden strange energy in the air as Arthur caught the ball again and perked up as he smelt a strange singe.

“That had some real pep!” Lewis laughed as he ran to catch the ball and prepared to throw it back. He was so glad to see Arthur seemingly back to himself once more. For a while, Arthur had become a near-complete hermit, forgoing any kind of social engagement to get his arm made.

Arthur himself felt almost too relieved to be able to use his arm so easily. Physical therapy with the doctors was tough and mechanical therapy with the robotic majors at the local university was a nightmare...but it was worth it to have a functional arm once again. And the grant money to develop the appendage further wasn’t half-bad either. It was exciting, thrilling even! He almost could feel the electric excitement as he-oh...oh no. Arthur caught the ball and paused his adrenaline rush as he sees electricity dance over his arm again and hears the sizzle of the tennis ball’s singing fibers in his hand. Quickly he passed the ball to his other hand.

“Ah- uh, I think th-that’s enough for now. I think the arm’s getting a little overworked. Ah, um, st-static and all that!” He gives an awkward grin to ease Vivi and Lewis’s sudden confusion. “I’m ah, g-gonna go inside and discharge.” Arthur gave an awkward laugh and scurried to get inside the mechanics shop again, his trio of friends were left worried and confused.

“Why won’t you leave me alone?” Arthur whispered in a hiss, glaring at his hand as a ribbon of green electricity coiled over the metal. The dark voice in his head merely chuckled as Arthur went to a specialized discharging station in his room.

‘I was bored. You live a very dull life, Kingsmen.’ The voice hummed idly, ‘If you would just allow me to take over-’

“Never! Just-just leave already!” Arthur murmured, sliding into his room and heading for the discharging rod. On the surface, it just let off static electricity. On the inside, there was a battery hooked up and storing the electricity Arthur would often unwillingly produce. He used the power to run a lamp attached to his desk.

‘If I could, I might...but at this moment, I can’t. So I will just bide my time, boy. I am very patient~. And when your friends inevitably abandon you for your behavior~.’ Arthur frowned, furious that he had to deal with this thing all the time. But what could he do? Exorcising a spirit was one thing, but he was sure this being wouldn’t let go after a few holy words, a splash of water, and some special tags.

Arthur might need to find someone who can offer more specialized help than a priest.

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Chapters: 1 || 2 || 3 || 4